In this episode, we sit down with Hélène Juguet, Managing Director of Film & Television at Ubisoft, to explore what it actually takes to turn a game franchise into a screen franchise and why, after 28 years and two distinct careers at the company, she's convinced there's still no playbook for it. Hélène walks Joe and Gabriella through her philosophy that timing can't be controlled, only reacted to, and unpacks how Ubisoft matches IP to medium: from the Rabbids' surprise reinvention as a TikTok-native animated hit that's now outgrown its video game origins, to the deliberate creative risks behind Assassin's Creed's upcoming Netflix series and the recasting of Sam Fisher for Splinter Cell. We also get into how Ubisoft approaches local IP expansion, building an entirely new Assassin's Creed universe for the Chinese market, and why turning fans into co-creators is the key to keeping a franchise alive across decades and life stages. So tune in for more on why "world architecture" beats linear storytelling when adapting games for the screen, a candid take on managing (and sometimes ignoring) fan backlash, and what it really means to let a franchise breathe across games, film, TV and social.
EPISODE NOTES
0:00 – Introduction
0:40 – 28 years at Ubisoft: from assistant brand manager to running Film & Television
2:55 – Why there's never really been a "playbook", and why one would be obsolete within six months anyway
6:00 – What The Last of Us as can teach about timing that you just can't manufacture
7:55 – Why Assassin's Creed on Netflix and Five Nights at Freddy's require completely different playbooks
10:20 – What really makes a game IP "cinematic"
13:25 – 4 Million views on TikTok: how the Rabbids clips overtook the game as the entry point to the IP
19:45 – Why sometimes ignoring fan backlash is the right move.
20:36 – Why creator passion for the IP matters more than industry pedigree
23:11 – The current gold rush of game adaptations, and why "movie number two" is where the real franchise test happens
26:49 – Fandom over format: why book, game and creator-economy audiences are all the same asset
27:56 – How Ubisoft keeps its own creative talent, and audiences, from franchise fatigue
34:26 – How a local-first strategy can help beat over-saturation
35:15 – What actually separates a franchise from a one-hit wonder
37:40 – Managing fan expectations (and leaks) on IP that's always "in development"
42:00 – Where games and entertainment convergence goes next
44:52 – Why turning fans into co-creators is the key to keeping them for life