This past weekend, we got our first look at an official still from the Assassin’s Creed movie, and now a pair of new images show both sides of the video game adaptation’s dual narrative. Directed by Macbeth helmer Justin Kurzel, the film stars Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch, a man forced to relive the exploits of his ancestor via a VR machine called the Animus in the hopes of tracking down a lost item of immeasurable value. But Fassbender also plays his ancestor in the film, a 15th century Spanish swordsman named Aguilar.

We see both Callum and Aguilar here in these new images, and Fassbender looks intense as his ancestral self. Indeed, with Kurzel bringing his frequent collaborator Adam Arkapaw onboard as his cinematographer, if Macbeth is any indication then we’re in for quite a treat when it comes to the movie’s sword battles.

It feels more possible than ever that 2016 will give us our first ever good video game adaptation, between the prestige pedigree behind Assassin’s Creed and the all-out fantasy weirdness of Duncan Jones’ epic Warcraft. Is it too much to ask for two good video game movies in the same year?

But the key to the success of Assassin’s Creed is that even without the name recognition or even premise, the prospect of a new Justin Kurzel film starring Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and Michael K. Williams would be reason enough to be looking forward to it. As far as I’m concerned, the fact that it’s Assassin’s Creed is simply icing on top of the cake.

Check out the two new images below, via Empire. Assassin’s Creed opens in theaters on December 21, 2016.

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Image via 20th Century Fox
assassins-creed-movie-michael-fassbender
Image via 20th Century Fox

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain.  Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.