Hollywood Has Bad News For Splinter Cell Fans

For Splinter Cell fans, recent news could not be more disheartening. Despite being in development for over a decade, Ubisoft’s live-action adaptation of the stealth video game franchise of the same name will no longer be coming to theaters, marking yet another high-profile casualty in the ongoing struggle to successfully bring video game franchises to the big screen.

A Splinter Cell live-action film was first announced in 2004 following the successful launch of the game, but it wasn’t until 2012 that it gained real momentum with Tom Hardy attached as the lead and Doug Liman hired as director. While this combination of star power and talent brought a wave of optimism, it wasn’t long before the project became ensnared in the all-too-familiar development hell that has plagued many video game-to-film attempts in Hollywood. A recent update from producer, Basil Iwanyk, has all but hit the final nail in the coffin for the film.

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In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Iwaynk cited, with deep regret, the reasons for Splinter Cell’s splint. “That movie would have been awesome… Just couldn’t get it right, script-wise, budget-wise. But it was going to be great. We had a million different versions of it, but it was going to be hardcore and awesome. That’s one of the ones that got away, which is really sad.” This contrasts with the more optimistic tone the producer had in 2017, when, speaking to Collider, he commented on the progress of the script, calling it “the best script we’ve had.”

Although no official plot details were revealed, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell—as it is officially named—would likely have seen Tom Hardy’s spy agent, Sam Fisher, take on the black-ops role and prowl the globe doing what spies do. Tom Hardy’s undeniable on-screen aura and Doug Liman’s skillset in directing intense action films—which he proved in Edge of Tommorow—seemed to be a match made in heaven in bringing a character like Sam Fisher to the big screen. Thus, fans have every right to be aggrieved.

The scrapping of the ongoing Splinter Cell movie is not the first time Ubisoft has disappointed fans. Since 2022, the company has been on a game-axing spree, canceling seven projects in as many months—including a VR Splinter Cell title and Ghost Recon Frontline. It hasn’t done any better in the live-action department. Previous video game-to-film releases such as Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, failed to capture any hearts both at the box office and with critics. These misfires likely influenced Ubisoft’s decision to take extra precautions with Splinter Cell’s adaptation and go back to the drawing board to prevent a recurrence of past mistakes. Sadly, the stars never aligned for Sam Fisher.

Luckily for fans, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch might prove a worthy consolation. With the upcoming Netflix animated series, set to launch in 2025 with Liev Schreiber providing the voice for the ultra-spy, fans can enjoy the intense action and espionage elements that a Splinter Cell movie would have otherwise provided. Additionally, Ubisoft is working on a Splinter Cell game remake—although the company’s track record is reasonable cause for apprehension.

Splinter Cell

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is a series of stealth games that began in November 2002. The third Splinter Cell game, Chaos Theory, is considered to be the series’ high point and one of the best stealth games of all time. 

A Splinter Cell remake is currently being developed by Ubisoft. 

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Source: The Direct