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The Daily Grind: What MMO would you like to see made into a movie?
So, that WoW movie has an official release date. It also has a skillful director, which is both good and bad. It's good because Duncan Jones may actually make a watchable film from video game source material. It's bad because I would've gotten a laugh out of Uwe Boll or one of his contemporaries soiling Blizzard's brand on the big screen. At any rate, assuming the WoW flick is financially successful, it could possibly pave the way for further MMO-to-film adaptations. Is there a particular massively multiplayer property you'd like to see made into a movie? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Warcraft movie release date announced
Players lucky enough to attend the San Diego Comic-con this year saw a concept trailer. Filming dates have been announced, and rumors have run rampant about who will star. Today, however, takes the cake -- the official Warcraft Twitter has just announced the release date for the Warcraft film. We're pleased to announce that @Legendary Pictures' WARCRAFT will be released by @UniversalPics on December 18, 2015. - World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) October 1, 2013 Considering how little we actually know about the subject of the film, the script, or the actual identity of the actors cast in the film -- much less if the film has actually wrapped up casting -- the announcement of a release date comes as a bit of a surprise. But when one thinks of just how long most players have been waiting for the release of a Warcraft film, having a firm date to look forward to is an absolute blessing. We've waited for years, and now we've got a date to mark on our calendars. Will you be in theaters December 18, 2015?
Report: Paula Patton, Colin Farrell offered Warcraft movie roles
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol co-star Paula Patton and Daredevil villain Colin Farrell have been offered lead roles in the upcoming film adaptation of Blizzard's Warcraft series, Deadline reports. Warcraft production company Legendary Pictures previously signed on Source Code director Duncan Jones to helm the project, with K-PAX writer Charles Leavitt handling scriptwriting duties. Neither actor has been confirmed for the film, and Legendary is negotiating with other performers in case Patton and Farrell decline. Production will begin in January.
Rumor: Colin Farrell and Paula Patton to lead World of Warcraft film
Here's one from the rumor mill: The long delayed World of Warcraft movie, set to finally start filming in January of 2014, might just have its first two high-profile cast members. According to industry buzz, Paula Patton (Mission Impossible: The One Where Tom Cruise Hangs from a Building) and Colin Farrell (Scrubs) are on deck for leading roles, with Patton already in the contracting phase. Other names have cropped up in relation to the film; Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels), and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) are all on the rumored shortlist for parts. Whatever your thoughts on potential actors, the fact that casting is actually getting done seems to indicate that the WoW movie might actually get made this time around. Moon director Duncan Jones is set to steer the project, which is aimed at a 2015 release.
Warcraft movie to begin filming in January 2014
We heard earlier this year that the Warcraft movie would finally start filming in 2014, but the recent fall-out between Legendary Pictures and distributor Warner Bros. left the fate of the Warcraft feature film in some doubt. Though we're still not certain who will be distributing the Warcraft movie, rumors are that the Duncan Jones-helmed production is moving ahead with filming starting on January 13th. The film itself is still mostly question marks for fans -- though a teaser trailer was shown at Comic-Con, we don't know what characters the movie will contain or what story-line it might tackle. But with filming set to begin in just a few short months, we're hopeful that we'll be getting more details soon -- a BlizzCon announcement seems like a safe bet.
Warcraft Movie Rumors: Khadgar and Medivh?
According to website Bleeding Cool, there are some new rumors about the upcoming Warcraft film -- specifically, what the story of the film will be about. Many people have been speculating as to the content of the movie, which is titled Warcraft -- not World of Warcraft -- and therefore could involve ... well, just about anything in the Warcraft canon, or an entirely new story we'd never before seen. Once thing was certain -- the story, whatever it is, is going to be something suitably epic. But according to Bleeding Cool, that story may be far more familiar than we'd previously thought. Rumor has it that the main character will be none other than Khadgar, and the story itself will revolve around his experiences with Medivh. Also supposedly set to appear in the film are Anduin Lothar, along with mention of "the King and his Lady." I'm assuming, judging from the other characters, that we're speaking of King Llane here. Keep in mind that this is all firmly rumor, and none of this has been confirmed by anyone actually working on the film. However, I don't know about you guys but I'd be perfectly happy with a film that went back to the high-fantasy days of Medivh and the First War -- seeing Lothar on the big screen sounds like a wonderful time to me. Check out Bleeding Cool for the full synopsis, as well as rumored actors for the film -- Johnny Depp, anyone?
World of Warcraft film teaser debuts at SDCC
Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures created something of a stir at this year's San Diego Comic Con by reportedly debuting a teaser trailer for the long-anticipated World of Warcraft movie. The trailer featured a human warrior and an angry orc and apparently was set in Hellfire Peninsula, also known as "that horrible place I dragged my Mage through levels 60-63." Actual filming begins in 2014, with director Duncan Jones referring to the teaser as more of a "mood piece." The film, titled simply Warcraft, will feature a mix of live-action and computer-generated effects. And no, the trailer doesn't seem to be available anywhere online. This Mountain Dew commercial is probably close enough, though.
First Warcraft teaser trailer debuted at San Diego Comic Con
Multiple sites are reporting that a teaser trailer for the World of Warcraft movie - simply titled Warcraft, was shown earlier today at San Diego Comic Con. The panel, featuring Warner Bros. and Legendary films, showed trailers for the upcoming Seventh Son and Godzilla before whipping out the surprise teaser for the Warcraft film and announcing that filming begins in 2014. No footage of the teaser seems to be available online yet, but news sites described the trailer as a lone knight standing in an alien, desert world with a glowing green sky. After looting a discarded suit of armor, the knight is besieged by creatures coming over the hills. As an orc approaches, swinging his sword down, the trailer then cut to the logo. Although the trailer isn't currently available online, we may see it pop up at some point soon. Director Duncan Jones made a brief appearance to mention that the trailer is a "mood piece," and that official shooting will begin early next year. While some players may have been doubtful about the eventual existence of the Warcraft film, its eventual existence is growing more certain by the day -- and the teaser definitely has everyone talking. We'll update if the teaser itself shows up online, until then you can read more about it from Superherohype.
World of Warcraft film set to shoot in 2014
Rumors have swirled around the oft-delayed and reportedly troubled World of Warcraft movie for years, but Legendary Pictures finally appears to be ready to move forward with production. Producer Charles Roven confirmed to SlashFilm that World of Warcraft: The Movie 3D IMAX Experience (suggested title) begins shooting in early 2014. Says Roven, "First quarter 2014 we're going to shoot that movie." Duncan Jones, director of Moon and Source Code, is taking the helm. Legendary still hasn't announced a release date or any plot details, but we can assume that the release date is Soon™ and the plot will revolve around humans, orcs, and a whole lot of sparkleponies.
Sam Raimi explains why he's not directing the Warcraft movie [UPDATED]
It's been an awfully long time since we've heard much about Blizzard's Warcraft movie -- long enough that we wondered if the project had faded into legend, much like the Dance Studio. Sam Raimi was announced as director way back in 2009 and spoke enthusiastically about the project as recently as 2010. And since then? A heck of a lot of silence, right up until the beginning of this year when Blizzard announced that Duncan Jones would be directing the film instead. So what happened? Well, while doing press for his new movie Oz the Great and Powerful, Raimi explained: Blizzard had reservations about the story he and writer Robert Rodat had pitched them. Ramai and Rodat spent nine months working on a script before realizing Blizzard had veto power, and, in the end, things fell apart. It doesn't surprise us at all that Blizzard would insist on having full creative control, but it does surprise us that some kind of miscommunication might have killed Raimi's version of the film. Of course, this is just Raimi's perspective, but except for a single tweet from Rob Pardo, Blizzard is keeping mum on the deal. I don't want to create controversy, but there are two sides to every story...vulture.com/2013/03/sam-ra... - Rob Pardo (@Rob_Pardo) March 6, 2013 However, at least the movie is now moving ahead -- and even Raimi seems excited by Duncan Jones directing: "I loved his movie Moon, and I think he's a strikingly talented director. I bet that if anyone can do a great job with it, it's him." Now that we know that, we can finally get back to talking about important things, like debating our ideal casting choices. Update: Added comments from Rob Pardo.
Duncan Jones to helm live-action WoW film
OK, maybe the long-in-development World of Warcraft film isn't the worst idea ever since the project just picked up Duncan Jones as its director. If that's an unfamiliar name, consider that Jones is the indie maestro behind thoughtful sci-fi fare like Moon and Source Code. As Topless Robot notes, the fact that Jones' prior protagonists tended to die and respawn over and over again may make him uniquely qualified to helm a picture based on an MMORPG. The WoW movie, which is being produced by Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros., was at one time rumored to feature Spider-man and Evil Dead auteur Sam Raimi in the director's chair. Jones, who is also the son of rock icon David Bowie, is now charged with the task of translating one of the world's most successful games to the big screen. This isn't the first time that Jones' name has been floated in connection with the WoW movie, either. Early in 2011, the director was quoted as saying that the production "could be the launch of computer games as good films."
The Warcraft movie is alive and Duncan Jones is the director
Blizzard announced that the live-action Warcraft movie is not only alive and well ... it has a director. Duncan Jones, of Source Code and Moon fame, will be that director. The announcement specified that the movie is taking place in the Warcraft universe. So while we can expect the events of WoW to play a role, the movie probably won't be solely about the MMORPG we all love. We are pleased to announce that Duncan Jones, director of critically-acclaimed films Source Code and Moon, has signed on with Legendary Pictures to direct the upcoming live-action film based on the Warcraft universe. Click here for more info. source
Warcraft movie to be helmed by Source Code director Duncan Jones
The film adaptation of Blizzard's Warcraft universe, simply titled Warcraft, is moving ahead with director Duncan Jones, The Hollywood Reporter says. Jones, whose previous work includes Moon and Source Code, is an award-winning English director and the son of music icon David Bowie. Joystiq has also obtained separate confirmation that Jones is indeed signed to direct Warcraft.Legendary Pictures tapped scriptwriter Charles Leavitt back in August and has chosen to stick with his adaptation. Previously, Sam Raimi was up to direct but chose to opt out instead for another film, Oz: The Great and Powerful. The plan is to start filming Warcraft this fall, with a theatrical release in 2015.
This week on The MMO Report
This week on The MMO Report, intrepid host Casey Schreiner kicks things off with a bit about Duncan Jones' take on the World of Warcraft film, a story we mentioned earlier this week here on Massively. He also takes a look at the final class roster video for BioWare's Star Wars The Old Republic. The clip focuses on the trooper class, and Casey can't help but mention the "blaster inaccuracy and downright buffoonery" associated with the iconic white armor thanks to the original trilogy. Next up is a blurb about GamersFirst's plans for APB Reloaded, followed by a look at RIFT's release date and subscription options. Casey also touts the indie smash Minecraft as showing the world that "the MMO community is begging for a new kind of game experience" and asks developers to take note of what one man (Minecraft designer Markus Persson) managed to do sans a multi-million dollar budget. Finally, in the absence of reader mail, Casey turns the requisite mailbag segment on its head by reading his own personal letter to the audience. Check out all the shenanigans after the cut, and be sure to catch The MMO Report every Thursday on G4TV.
Duncan Jones has high expectations for Warcraft film
Video game adaptations generally make for pretty bad cinema. Whether its Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, or Tomb Raider, films that originate on a PC or gaming console aren't normally mentioned in the same breath as Citizen Kane or The Godfather. Duncan Jones, director of 2009's indie smash Moon (and the forthcoming Jake Gyllenhaal vehicle Source Code), says that perception could change with Sam Raimi's World of Warcraft adaptation. "I really believe World of Warcraft could be the launch of computer games as good films. And from the little I've read of interviews with him the way he's approaching it makes so much sense," Jones told Badass Digest over the holidays. So why have so many video game adaptations failed to capture audience hearts and minds? Jones posits that it may be due to the fact that few filmmakers understand games or gamers. "I'm very cynical of the number of directors who say they're actual gamers [...] I'm a real gamer and I think there are less real gamers involved in directing only because you have to spend so much time making films that there's no time to be a hardcore gamer," he said.
Director predicts Warcraft film will break video game movie trend
Last week, Badass News posted an article detailing an interview with director Duncan Jones in which the Warcraft movie was one of the main topics of discussion. Jones is the son of David Bowie and director of the impressive science fiction flick Moon, as well as Source Code, another sci-fi title being released later this year. Though the interview reveals nothing about the production of the Warcraft movie, Jones thinks that the film is going to break the ongoing trend of terrible film adaptations of video games. In the article, Jones says he believes it's possible to make a good adaptation -- it just has to be approached properly. "A good game adaptation is where you find the story or the emotional aspect that's at the heart of a computer game and you replicate that on film. It doesn't mean you need to have first person perspective or try and capture the mechanics of a game," he says. Jones thinks the Warcraft film will be the film to break the mold because director Sam Raimi seems to be approaching the film correctly. "From the little I've read of interviews with him, the way he's approaching it makes so much sense. It's what I was talking about – it's not worrying about how the game plays, it's about creating the world of the game and investing the audience in that world." Jones explains that he's a serious gamer himself and is skeptical about other directors who claim the same. He doesn't think most directors have the time to be both hardcore gamers and filmmakers. Jones, on the other hand, says he stays up all night to accommodate his gaming habit and cites titles like Starcraft 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops. He also says he's looking forward to Diablo 3. Jones admits that he's "hugely jealous" of Raimi's getting the chance to direct the Warcraft film; the writer of the article goes so far as to suggest that Jones have a chance at directing it, since Raimi set it aside to work on The Great and Mighty Oz. That's not really quite how Hollywood works, though, so unless Raimi steps down from the project himself, I wouldn't count on his losing the project just yet.
