Michael Fassbender Compares Assassin’s Creed Movie to The Matrix

In each Assassin’s Creed video game, the main character uses a device known as the Animus to access the memories of an ancestor. Essentially taking them to a simulated world, it’s hard not to notice the parallels between Assassin’s Creed and 1999’s The Matrix. Even Michael Fassbender, who will be playing Callum Lynch in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie, pointed out the similarities in an interview with Empire.

“I’ve always thought about The Matrix when we’ve approached this,” said Fassbender. “This idea of DNA memory elevates it from a basic fantasy genre [piece], because you have something an audience can actually believe in. Then the journey becomes so much more elevated, because you’re on board in a different way.”

Fassbender went on to discuss the use of stunts and practical effects in the film, assuring us that it won’t all be CGI.

“There’s very little green screen in this, which is highly unusual in these films,” he said. “We have stunt guys jumping across buildings in [Maltese capital] Valletta. We’ve got [stunt man Damian Walters] doing a 120-foot leap of faith, without any rope, into a bag, so it’s pretty incredible to see.”

Directed by Justin Kurzel, Assassin’s Creed hits theaters on December 21, 2016.