Watch Assassin Creed The Movie

Why did so many studios — such as Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks — pass on a Assassin’s Creed movie, which Sony appeared making a deal with Ubisoft to build up and distribute?

Citing various unnamed collaborators at some of the studios that will passed on the project, Vulture stories it was largely a matter involving creative control. The deal allows Ubisoft approval over everything from price range and script to casting and the discharge date. “They want to be able to pull the plug on the unharmed movie’s development if they decide to. It’s ridiculous,” said one boss for a studio that dropped out of a bidding.

Another studio exec involved said that while they understand Ubisoft’s need to shield their baby, “they’re not moviemakers, along with the only way to make sure it is just a bad movie is to undervalue what exactly movie studios do — and this is actually a deal that totally undervalues what motion picture studios do.”

A Hollywood agent whom represents a different game company place it more bluntly: “The whole Ubisoft/The new sony deal is a waste of tattoo, paper and time. The level regarding control Sony gave up means, in effect, that Assassin’s Creed will never — and I mean never — get made.”

So wherefore did Sony say yes? Vulture claims it’s because Ubisoft is footing many of the development costs so Sony is merely looking at a small percentage of expenses on a movie with unsubtle-based appeal and a built-in fanbase. Time will tell who produced the right bet.