Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed Live-Action Series Confirms Setting, Adds New Cast Members, Production Underway in Rome

Series Set in 64 AD Rome During the Great Fire of Nero’s Reign, Filming Takes Place at Cinecittà Studios and Across Italy

Netflix and Ubisoft have officially announced that production is underway on their live-action Assassin’s Creed series, confirming that the story will take place in ancient Rome in 64 AD. The series will present an original narrative not covered in the games, set during the pivotal historical period of the Great Fire of Rome under Emperor Nero.

Filming is now fully underway at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, with additional locations planned across Italy. Production is expected to last seven months, wrapping in mid-October 2026. The series is anticipated to premiere on Netflix in 2027.

Expanding Cast

Following the previously announced lead cast, Netflix has revealed four additional actors joining in recurring roles:

Sandra Guldberg Kampp (Foundation, The Rain, Electric Child)
Youssef Kerkour (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)
Mirren Mack (Hedda, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple)
Louis McCartney (Stranger Things: The First Shadow)

The previously announced main cast includes:

Lola Petticrew (Say Nothing)
Toby Wallace (Euphoria Season 3)
Zachary Hart (Slow Horses)
Laura Marcus (Death by Lightning)
Tanzyn Crawford (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)
Nabhaan Rizwan (Kaos)
Claes Bang (Bad Sisters)
Noomi Rapace (Prometheus)
Ramzy Bedia (Haunted Minds)
Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout)
Corrado Invernizzi (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

Official character details have not yet been disclosed.

Creative Team and Production Scale

The series is co-created, showrun, and executive produced by Roberto Patino (Westworld) and David Wiener (Halo). In a joint statement, the pair shared:

“Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour, and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story — about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith. It is about power and violence and sex and greed and vengeance. But more than anything, this is a show about the value of human connection, across cultures, across time. And it’s about what we stand to lose as a species, when those connections break. We’ve got an amazing team behind us with the folks at Ubisoft and our champions at Netflix, and we’re committed to creating something undeniable for fans all over the planet.”

Additional executive producers include Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, Austin Dill, and Genevieve Jones for Ubisoft Film & Television, along with Matt O’Toole.

Costume design is led by acclaimed Italian designer Carlo Poggioli (The Leopard, The New Pope). The Italian line producer is Nicola Rosada, who has previously worked on Netflix productions shot in Italy, including The Decameron, Emily in Paris, and La Dolce Villa. The series will benefit from Italy’s tax rebate program, covering up to 40% of eligible production costs.

Historical Setting and Storyline

The year 64 AD is best known for the Great Fire of Rome, which began near the Circus Maximus and raged for days while Emperor Nero was in Antium. Ancient sources often blamed Nero for starting the fire to clear space for his ambitious rebuilding projects, though modern historians generally believe the fire was accidental.

The series will tell an original story set outside the games’ existing narratives, centering on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one seeking to shape humanity’s future through control and manipulation, the other fighting to preserve free will. Characters will navigate pivotal historical moments as they battle to determine the course of human destiny.

The Assassin’s Creed game franchise has explored numerous historically significant settings, including ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Renaissance Italy, feudal Japan, and revolutionary France — but never ancient Rome until now.

Production Highlights and Cinecittà

The production is based at Rome’s historic Cinecittà Studios, utilizing its extensive ancient Rome backlot, which includes a replica of the Roman Forum. Additional filming will take place in the Lazio region surrounding Rome and in Tuscany.

Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of Cinecittà Studios, commented:

“I am honored that Netflix has chosen our studios and our sets to create such a spectacular, ambitious series that is eagerly anticipated around the world. It is a sign of the credibility and reputation that Cinecittà enjoys internationally, and of the professional guarantee we offer to every kind of production, of any genre and scale. But I am even more honored by the trust placed in our skilled workforce and in our art department, which is collaborating on the creation of truly spectacular sets. With its masters, Cinecittà confirms itself as a recognized artistic excellence and a source of pride for our country.”

About the Assassin’s Creed Franchise

Assassin’s Creed is one of the best-selling video game franchises in history, with over 230 million units sold worldwide since its debut in 2007. The franchise has spawned 14 main installments to date. A feature film adaptation was released in 2016, starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, though it received mixed reviews, holding an 18% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — adding to the anticipation surrounding this new series adaptation.

Netflix has not yet announced a specific release date. As production moves forward, the Brotherhood is preparing to step out of the shadows and begin its next chapter.