Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

'The Division' film officially announced, Gyllenhaal and Chastain to star

the division movie announced thedivisionteam
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Game publishing giant Ubisoft has invested heavily in the film industry over the past several years, with big screen takes on franchises like Splinter Cell and Watch Dogs already in development, but the company isn’t done yet. A film based on this year’s game The Division is indeed in the works, and it will star Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Both Chastain and Gyllenhaal will also produce the films through their respective production companies, Freckle Films and Nine Stories.

“The battle to restore order to Manhattan is being made into a movie by Ubisoft Motion Pictures,” the publisher says. This language suggests that the film may be a straight adaptation of March’s game, rather than a story set in the same universe. No other concrete information on the film’s narrative was offered with the announcement.

This will not be Gyllenhaal’s first time starring in a video game movie, or even one based on a Ubisoft property. The actor played the lead role of Dastan in 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — one of the highest-earning video game movies of all time — before the action-adventure series was put on the back burner. The massively popular Assassin’s Creed franchise has largely taken its place, with its own film scheduled to release later this year.

Curiously, the only one of Ubisoft’s active “Tom Clancy’s” brands to not receive a film adaptation is Rainbow Six. While Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and The Division were all conceived by the company in-house, Rainbow Six was created by the late author himself, with a novel published before it made the jump to games. Character John Clark has appeared in other Clancy films, however, having been portrayed by both Willem Dafoe in Clear and Present Danger and Liev Schreiber in The Sum of All Fears.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
The Division 2’s Warlords of New York expansion takes players back to beginning
The Division 2 Warlords of New York

The Division 2 is getting a makeover. Ubisoft revealed a new paid expansion for the looter-shooter called Warlords of New York, which will bring major changes to the game.

The DLC will bring players back to New York City, where the original Division game took place. The story revolves around Aaron Keener, the former Division agent who was a primary villain in the series’ first outing. Keener has assembled a group of four other rogue agents, who are wandering the streets of New York. Each time a player defeats one, they’ll gain a new special ability in classic Mega Man fashion.

Read more
The Division 2 is getting a free weekend amid Episode 2 update
the division 2 everything we know about beta specialists and more

This week, season pass holders for Tom Clancy's The Divison 2 received access to the second episodic expansion title Pentagon: The Last Castle. The latest DLC introduces a ton of new content to keep the game fresh, including two new main missions: Pentagon and DARPA Research Labs. To celebrate the post-launch milestone, Ubisoft is hosting a free weekend for the game.

So, if you were interested in picking the game up but were unsure if it was worth a buy, now is an excellent time to test it out. Starting on Thursday, October 17, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One users can trot around post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. while shooting down baddies and earning sweet loot. Players can begin to download the game by going to their respective digital stores. PC users can start pre-loading the game by heading to the Epic Games Store or UPlay. The free weekend will conclude on Monday, October 21.

Read more
How to get the most out of agent builds and specializations in The Division 2

Agent builds and specializations are some of the most important aspects of The Division 2. It's what makes the grind for new loot both enjoyable and addictive. With an intricate gear system and a myriad of different stats to pay attention to, though, it can be a lot to figure out. Our builds and specializations guide details everything you need to know and what you need to pay attention to while upgrading your loadout.

For more on The Division 2, check out our beginner's guide, leveling guide, and skills and perks guide.
Six gear tiers

Read more