With Assassin's Creed Movie Coming, Ubisoft's Movie Division Undergoes Management Shakeup

Ubisoft's film division, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, is undergoing a management shakeup. It was announced today that the division's CEO, Jean-Julien Baronnet, has left the company, and is replaced by Gerard Guillemot. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he is the brother of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.

In a statement, Yves Guillemot thanked Baronnet for his contributions to Ubisoft's film endeavors and said he's confident his brother will help keep the team on the right path.

Sources told Variety, which reported the news first today, that Baronnet's departure was amicable. Baronnet had been Ubisoft Motion Pictures' CEO since its inception in 2011 and oversaw the release of the Rabbids Invasion TV show in 2013, which airs on Nickelodeon.

In his own statement, Baronnet said he is leaving to start a production company, adding that he believes Ubisoft Motion Pictures is in "good hands" with Gerard Guillemot at the helm.

Gerard Guillemot founded Ubisoft alongside Yves and other Guillemot family members in 1986. He also started Gameloft and Longtail Studios, which was later acquired by Ubisoft. He continues to serve on Ubisoft's board of directors as executive vice president for publishing and marketing.

The Assassin's Creed movie, which stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, comes out in December. Other movies in the pipeline include a Splinter Cell film with Tom Hardy as Sam Fisher, as well as a Ghost Recon movie that will be produced by Hollywood veteran Michael Bay. A Watch Dogs movie is also in the works; fans want Tom Cruise to play the lead role, but Ubisoft has not announced any official casting details.