Three years ago, in July 2016, we learned thatJessica Chastainwould be joiningJake Gyllenhaalin a film based on the popular Ubisoft video gameThe Division. Two of my favorite actors teaming up for a post-apocalyptic action-thriller? I was pretty excited, to say the least. Two years later, in April 2018,David Leitch(Deadpool 2) signed on to direct, bolstering my anticipation. But since then, it’s been totally quiet… until now.
Earlier today at E3, Ubisoft announced that Netflix has acquiredThe Division, and as we all know, the streamer picks up projects to make them, not develop them. Now, this is not a low-budget movie, but neither wasBrightorMichael Bay’s upcomingSix UndergroundstarringRyan Reynolds. Netflix seems willing to take one or two big swings a year, and I can seeThe Divisionbeing theSix Undergroundof 2020.
The Divisionis set in the near future where a pandemic virus is spread via paper money on Black Friday, decimating the city of New York and killing millions. By Christmas, what’s left of society has descended into chaos. A group of civilians, trained to operate in catastrophic times, are activated in an attempt to save who and what remains. It sounds pretty interesting, especially with two top-tier actors aboard.
Rafe Judkinshas been tapped to write the script, and he’s the scribe Amazon has entrusted to created its upcoming seriesWheel of Time, based on the acclaimed fantasy novels. In addition to starring, Gyllenhaal and Chastain will produce via their respective companies Nine Stories and Freckle Films, which will be joined by Leitch’s 87North Productions and Ubisoft Film and Television.
At launch,The Divisionquickly became the fastest-selling new IP in video game history, and it currently boasts more than 20 million players.The Division 2launched in March 2019 to critical acclaim, and continues to provide players with new content on an ongoing basis.
Leitch is the director ofDeadpool 2,Atomic Blondeand the upcomingHobbs & Shawmovie starringDwayne JohnsonandJason Statham. That film hits theaters on Aug. 2, arriving exactly one month afterSpider-Man: Far from Home, which co-stars Gyllenhaal as Mysterio. As for Chastain’s recent turn inX-Men: Dark Phoenix, the less said, the better.
