Ubisoft has announced the writer & director for The Division film:
LOS ANGELES – January 19, 2016 — Today, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film and television studio of Ubisoft®, announced Academy Award® winner Stephen Gaghan will write and direct the upcoming “The Division” film.
Gaghan won an Academy Award® for writing “Traffic” and was nominated for his work on “Syriana,” which he both wrote and directed. His latest directorial effort, “Gold,” comes out January 2017. He joins Academy Award® nominees Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal on the project, which is based on the fastest-selling new video game franchise in history.
“We are really excited to bring Stephen’s unique vision of the game to film audiences around the globe,” said Gerard Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer, Ubisoft Motion Pictures.
“We can’t wait for Stephen’s remarkable passion and talent to bring the astonishing world of The Division to life,” added Matt Phelps, Vice President and Head of Development, Ubisoft Motion Pictures.
“I’m excited to work with Ubisoft Motion Pictures and collaborate with their team at Massive Entertainment to bring The Division to the big screen, they’re great guys, exceptionally creative, and willing to take risks,” shared writer and director, Stephen Gaghan. “The game has been an enormous success, in large part due to the visual landscape they created, their vision of a mid-apocalyptic Manhattan. It’s immersive, wonderfully strange, and yet familiar, filled with possibilities. It’s also remarkable to be able to collaborate with Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal early in the process. We all feel the story Ubisoft created is more relevant than ever.”
Ubisoft Motion Pictures will develop with Jake Gyllenhaal’s and Riva Marker’s (“Beasts of No Nation”) Nine Stories and Jessica Chastain’s Freckle Films. The announcement comes after the critically-acclaimed Tom Clancy’s The Division® video game, developed by Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment studio, sold more copies in its first 24 hours of availability than any previous title in Ubisoft’s history** and recorded the biggest first week ever for a new video game franchise***.
About Ubisoft Motion Pictures
Ubisoft Motion Pictures’ mission is to expand the rich worlds of Ubisoft’s award-wining video games into new areas of entertainment, including film, television and theme parks. The company partners with top creative talent to develop original stories, staying true to the core values of each franchise and to Ubisoft’s commitment to create immersive, quality entertainment experiences.
Ubisoft Motion Pictures’ first feature film, “Assassin’s Creed” opened in theaters December 21, 2016 starring Academy Award® nominee Michael Fassbender and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard, produced along with New Regency Productions, DMC Films and The Kennedy/Marshall Company and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Five other feature films are currently in development, including, “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell” starring Academy Award® nominee Tom Hardy with New Regency Productions, “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” with Michael Bay and Warner Brothers Pictures, “Rabbids” with Sony Pictures Entertainment, “Watch Dogs” with Sony Pictures Entertainment and New Regency Productions, and “Tom Clancy’s The Division” starring Academy Award® nominees Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal. “Rabbids Invasion,” an animated television series co-produced with France Televisions and Nickelodeon Productions, is currently in its third season and airs in more than 50 countries.
About Nine Stories
Nine Stories is a New-York based production company founded by Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker in 2015. The company is dedicated to working with visionary storytellers in all fields and producing provocative and entertaining material. Nine Stories produced David Gordon Green’s forthcoming film “Stronger” which was shot on location in Boston. The film will be distributed by Lionsgate. They are in post-production on Paul Dano’s directorial debut, “Wildlife.” Nine Stories is in development on a number of theatrical titles including an adaption of Scandinavian author Jo Nesbo’s “The Son” which filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will direct, as well as Max Mermelstein’s violent cartel story “The Man Who Made It Snow” with Antoine Fuqua to helm. In television, the company is developing a scripted limited series for A&E centered on cults. Season one focuses on Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2015–16 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,394 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
© 2016 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy’s, The Division logo, the Soldier icon, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
