Jessica Chastain & Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘The Division’ Lands at Netflix

The upcoming film adaptation of Ubisoft’s popular video game franchise ‘The Division’ starring Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal has landed at Netflix. Ubisoft announced the news at the E3 Conference on Monday, reports The Wrap. The movie is directed by David Leitch from a screenplay adapted by Rafe Judkins, which is based on Tom Clancy’s best-selling video game of the same name. 87North Productions, Nine Stories, Freckle Films, and Ubisoft Film produce the movie.

The plot is set in the near future where a deadly virus infects people through paper money on Black Friday. Soon, the epidemic starts wiping out the population of New York City. By the time of the Christmas night, the city plunges deep into widespread chaos. A team of civilians embarks on a mission to save what is left out of civilization.

In a recent interview with Collider, David Leitch described the premises of the movie as “pretty amazing.” “I think the world that those artists created is really compelling, obviously for people who love the game but for people who even—just a cursory look at the artwork and the immersive quality, it’s pretty amazing. I think it also asks some interesting questions about society and putting people in those interesting positions. For me, I thought that was a cool playground.”

Leitch stepped into the project in 2018 after previously set helmer Stephen Gaghan walked out. The director is known for churning out back-to-back hits like ‘John Wick,’ ‘Atomic Blonde,’ ‘Deadpool 2,’ and the upcoming ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.’

‘The Division’ is one of the fastest-selling titles in the history of video games. The franchise managed to grow exponentially after its launch in 2016. According to reports, the game currently has more than 20 million players from around the world. Ubisoft introduced an upgraded second version of the game, ‘The Division 2’ in March 2019. Both Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal have been attached to the project from its pre-production stage.

Along with the announcement, Ubisoft also revealed that there would be more adaptations in the near future. The gaming giant is known for the ‘Assassin’s Creed‘ franchise which was adapted into a movie in 2016. Directed by Justin Kurzel from a script by Michael Lesslie, ‘Assassin’s Creed’ movie features Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling, and Michael K. Williams in the lead roles. Though it was panned by the critics, the film went on to become a global hit.

Cover Image Courtesy: Universal Pictures/Jarhead

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