Netflix’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch Continues the Game’s Story
▼ Summary
– The Netflix animated series “Deathwatch” continues the Splinter Cell story after a decade-long game hiatus, with Sam Fisher retired on a farm before being pulled back into action.
– Derek Kolstad, the writer known for John Wick, was given creative freedom by Ubisoft to approach the story as if the timeline had progressed since the last game.
– The series introduces an older Sam Fisher, voiced by Liev Schreiber, who helps a younger injured agent, blending familiar elements like stealth and gadgets with new storytelling.
– Kolstad focused on making the adaptation accessible to newcomers while retaining Fisher’s established history and incorporating intimate action sequences over large-scale scenes.
– Animation allowed for fewer constraints on action compared to live-action, and the series shares a John Wick-like setup but differs in key aspects, such as the dog surviving.
For fans who have waited years for a new chapter, Netflix’s animated series Splinter Cell: Deathwatch picks up the story as if no time has passed at all. Series writer Derek Kolstad, the creative force behind the John Wick franchise, approached the project by imagining the timeline had continued uninterrupted since the last video game installment. He describes the show as a direct continuation, placing the legendary Sam Fisher in a completely new stage of his life: retired and living on a remote farm, somewhat astonished he is still alive. Naturally, this peaceful existence is short-lived.
In Deathwatch, this newly settled version of Fisher, now voiced by Liev Schreiber, who takes over from Michael Ironside, is swiftly dragged back into the world of espionage. His quiet life, spent sipping tea with his dog Kaiju, is shattered when a younger, injured agent named Zinnia, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, appears at his door seeking help. This encounter propels Fisher on an international adventure packed with high-tech gadgets, intense gunplay, and the signature stealth-based combat the series is famous for.
Kolstad, a longtime fan of Tom Clancy’s novels, reveals that Ubisoft gave him significant creative freedom. He suggests the lengthy hiatus since the last game allowed him to take the story in his own direction. Once he framed his vision as “Old Man Logan meets Point Blank,” the game’s creators understood and supported his approach.
Acknowledging the long gap since the last game, Kolstad aimed to introduce Sam Fisher in a way that would be accessible to new viewers while remaining faithful to the character longtime fans adore. He admits that adaptations are challenging, requiring the addition of new elements while inevitably losing others, but he worked diligently to preserve the core of Fisher’s established history.
While Kolstad has previous experience writing for established universes, such as Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Deathwatch marked his first foray into animation. He found the process notably different from live-action, lacking a physical set to visit and instead reviewing art and animatics. He describes the peculiar feeling of finishing scripts and then waiting years to see the final product, trusting entirely in the skill of the animation team.
One distinct advantage of the animated format is the expanded potential for action sequences. Freed from the constraints of live-action budgets, safety concerns, and physics, the scope for spectacle is vastly greater. However, Kolstad notes he exercised restraint, focusing on action that felt authentic to the character and the world of Splinter Cell. He prefers intimate, tense moments of stealth and tactical combat over gratuitous spectacle, though the series certainly features its share of explosive chases and confrontations.
Viewers will likely detect a stylistic resemblance to the John Wick films, particularly in the premise of a retired master assassin pulled back into violence, complete with a beloved canine companion. Kolstad confirms the influence but is quick to point out one crucial distinction that sets Deathwatch apart: in this story, the dog makes it through unscathed.
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
(Source: The Verge)