The official development of Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs movie has begun, following ten years of speculation. With several postponements since its 2016 introduction at Sony’s GamesCon, the eagerly awaited movie is now helmed by Mathieu Turi (Hostile). As the well-known vigilante hacker protagonist Aiden Pearce, Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) will play the starring role in the movie. The film, which co-stars Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), will adapt the plot of the original game, in which Pearce must avoid the perils of a futuristic Chicago that is heavily surveilled.

The Watch Dogs movie, produced by Ubisoft Partners and New Regency, has been in the works since the first game’s release captivated audiences in 2014. Fans have long speculated about how the game’s open-world hacking, cyber warfare, and its dark, dystopian atmosphere would translate to the big screen. Now, with filming underway, there’s a palpable sense of excitement as production progresses.

Christie LeBlanc, writer of the sci-fi hit Oxygen (2021), has penned the script, with rewrites from Victoria Bata. The film is expected to bring the game’s signature hacking mechanics and fast-paced action sequences to life with stunning visuals and a grounded, emotionally charged storyline. The film will follow Pearce, who, after a family tragedy, uses his hacking skills to seek revenge against a corrupt system, setting off a chain of events that pushes the limits of morality and justice.