Labed to Replace Vikander in ASSASSIN’S CREED

Deadline Hollywood reports that actress Ariane Labed will join Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in the cast of Assassin’s Creed, replacing actress Alicia Vikander.

Vikander – who caught the attention of American audiences in Ex Machina – had to drop out of the upcoming fantasy due to scheduling conflicts with her involvement in the next Jason Bourne sequel. But while Labed may not be well known to U.S. moviegoers, she is already exceedingly well respected in Europe, even earning the Locarno Best Actress award last year for her work in Lucia Borleteau’s Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey.

The Assassin’s Creed movie is based on the series of video games from Ubisoft. The game primarily revolves around the rivalry between two ancient secret societies: the Assassins and the Knights Templar, and their indirect relation to an ancient species pre-dating humanity. This ancient society, along with much of Earth’s biosphere, was destroyed by a massive solar storm. The film is being produced by New Regency and Ubisoft with an eye toward developing a franchise.

Assassin’s Creed will be directed by AACTA Award winner Justin Kurzel and is currently scheduled for a December, 2016 release.