Everyone's been waiting for it, and finally, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is here to bring back one of the all-time greats in gaming: Sam Fisher. This time, Liev Schreiber, from The Perfect Couple, has been announced to lend his voice to the stealth master. This was revealed during Netflix's Geeked Week 2024.
The animated series will be developed with Ubisoft Film & Television and could give a new spin on the spy package within the backdrop of the original game. By that teaser, though, we'll likely see Fisher in a more thoughtful light, with mystery and covert missions at its core.
Fans have been waiting for new Splinter Cell content for years, but here they come, at last, with this adaptation on Netflix. It's meant to be the style of classic games blended with a new story experience.
Here's everything about Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, from the plot to the creative minds who brought this on screen.
The plot and characters of Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is about Sam Fisher, the best black ops agent in the US government's Fourth Echelon division. Fisher is back in action for this animated series, beginning a new adventure that throws him headlong into warfare. In the first teaser, we hear narration from Fisher while a guy's burial goes on.
As flowers are laid on Douglas Shetland's coffin, a character well-known to video game fans, Fisher shares his thoughts with Netflix Tudum:
“Once you get used to the shadows, you see bad people for who they really are. And they’ll never see you coming for them.”
People are excited about Schreiber as Fisher because he brings a twist. They feel this version will be more mature and tough. Variety reports that Fisher sporting a grey beard in the teaser speaks for itself in anticipating that this character will face not just outside threats but also the baggage from his past missions.
The show has a sound creative team behind it, and Guillaume Dousse and Félicien Colmet-Daage direct it. The executive producers include Hélène Juguet, Hugo Revon, and Gérard Guillemot from Ubisoft. According to Variety, they are on the job to ensure that this adaptation retains the core vibe of the Splinter Cell games while adding fresh angles to attract a wider audience.
What is Splinter Cell: Deathwatch based on?
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is based on the Ubisoft video games but is not a direct adaptation. The games have been around since 2002 and are a staple within the stealth genre: gameplay with political drama. While the animated version will play off of the games, it will be tweaked to fit the narrative structure of TV.
The games are about being realistic, where players have to sneak around and tackle tricky missions with stealth and strategy. The animated series looks into Fisher's adventures in those covert ops. Longtime fans will feel right at home. Moreover, animated adaptations allow more creativity with style.
To bring it to life, the adaptation has a lineup of the best animators: Sun Creature, known for its visuals, and Fost, of course. Having Derek Kolstad as the head writer for this show would be big, as his skills in intense, character-driven stories like John Wick make him a perfect fit for this story about a lone operative.
“We’re aiming to strike a balance between honoring the source material and making something that feels new and vital,” Kolstad explained during the Geeked Week panel.
The show explores the shady side of Fisher's missions, getting down to operating in the shadows. Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is guided by Tom Clancy's original vision while incorporating modern themes like the complex nature of hybrid warfare.
Behind the scenes, governments and private groups battle against one another. In this light, Fisher's skills remain important in tackling global threats. This direction keeps the series up-to-date and helps give us fresh takes on tech-driven warfare.
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Splinter Cell: Deathwatch will be available to stream on Netflix. The streamer did not give a release date but keeps updates coming during Geeked Week.
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