World of Warcraft Movie Gets Release Date

[Steven Bogos]

World of Warcraft Movie Gets Release Date

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/385161242886696960]
The official World of Warcraft movie will hit theaters on December 18, 2015.

Blizzard entertainment, working with Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures, has just announced an official release date for its ambitious World of Warcraft film project. The World of Warcraft film will be in cinemas on December 18, 2015. The film is being directed by Duncan Jones (of Moon fame) and may-or-may-not star Colin Farrell [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128040-Colin-Farrell-May-Star-in-Warcraft-Movie?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news].

The film was first announced all the way back in 2006 as a project partnership with Legendary Pictures, but ran into many obstacles, most notably due to Blizzard's extreme protection of the Warcraft franchise. The developers' over-bearing nature was enough to make director Sam Rami leave the project, and left many wondering if it would ever get made at all.

But, things seem to be moving along quite nicely lately, with Blizzard announcing that filming will begin next year [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124567-World-Of-Warcraft-Movie-Starts-Filming-Next-Year], and now that we have a definitive release date, it looks like this is finally going to actually happen.

Paula Patton, best known for her role in the latest Mission Impossible flick, is reportedly already negotiating for a lead role in the film, while Colin Farrell's participation is still about "50/50" according to "inside sources" [http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/paul-dano-travis-fimmel-anson-mount-anton-yelchin-warcraft/].

Blizzard are keeping a very tight-lid on story details, so we have no idea whether it will star established characters from the Warcraft universe, or bring in new ones. We know that its subtitle may-or-may-not be "Conflagration", and that's about it.

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/385161242886696960]

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[Ferisar]

I'm not gonna lie, this seems like more of a joke on Blizzard's part knowing that their release schedule is probably shrouded in as much mystery to them as it is to their average player

"Guys... We'll say it gets released two years from now. THEY KEPT ASKING FOR A RELEASE DATE, WELL HERE WE GO"

 

[james.sponge]

wow... this is... quite unexpected.

 

[Makabriel]

Not to nit-pick but it's a Warcraft movie, not a World of Warcraft movie. Word is that it will actually have nothing to do with the events in the MMO

 

[Kyber]

Nice, glad to see another high budget fantasy movie with rich lore. Never was that big on the games but I did enjoy reading about the lore.

 

[jurnag12]

I'm gonna make 2 predictions, based on pretty much nothing but gut feeling:

1) This movie is going to suck. The video-game movie curse is not gonna relent for Warcraft.
2) I'm gonna see it anyway, and I'll probably still be playing the game by that point.

 

[Skeleon]

@Makabriel
I'd actually be in favour of that. How about a Warcraft 1 movie? That actually tells the tale of how Medivh opened the Dark Portal, got murdered and all that? I'd imagine most WoW-gamers never played the first (or second) one.

 

[mechalynx]

Not to nit-pick but it's a Warcraft movie, not a World of Warcraft movie. Word is that it will actually have nothing to do with the events in the MMO

Here's hoping. My last foray into the world of Azeroth was Warcraft 3 -The Frozen Throne. Maybe I'm viewing W3 through nostalgia tilted goggles, but I thought that the story in those games was excellent and wouldn't mind seeing that on film.

 

[Alorxico]

Blizzard are keeping a very tight-lid on story details, so we have no idea whether it will star established characters from the Warcraft universe, or bring in new ones.

So, there is a strong chance the plot will be "Nerdy, socially awkward, high school WoW addict gets pulled into his favorite video game to learn valuable lessons about friendship, honor and bravery from his favorite characters presumably after being embarrassed by the super popular, football playing, mega-jerk for asking the most beautiful girl in school out to see a sci-fi film."

Sorry if I sound bitter.

 

[Alorxico]

fantasy really doesnt translate that well as a rule to cinema

Unless you are Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter and all ready have a massive fan following from which to pool on release day.

 

[Summerstorm]

"What do you mean Collin Farrel maybe doesn't want in? Get me the damn Panda-Monk suit and Collin in here NOW."

Eh, i am very "Meh" on this. WoW wasn't that good. I guess they did some world-building though. But the world is too cartoony-weird. Will look like Roger Rabbit in movie-form. Or they could go full-cgi of course.

 

[Evonisia]

Nice to know, I look forward to it.

"What do you mean Collin Farrel maybe doesn't want in? Get me the damn Panda-Monk suit and Collin in here NOW."

Eh, i am very "Meh" on this. WoW wasn't that good. I guess they did some world-building though. But the world is too cartoony-weird. Will look like Roger Rabbit in movie-form. Or they could go full-cgi of course.

The world was always cartoony, even in Warcraft I. Though I agree they're either gonna have to pump the grimdark up a notch or risk it looking a bit too silly.

 

[Guffe]

Not to nit-pick but it's a Warcraft movie, not a World of Warcraft movie. Word is that it will actually have nothing to do with the events in the MMO

That's what I've heard too, but that was way back in like 2008.

I heard the movie was going to be a "Warcraft IV" in some ways, continuing a story where TheFrozenThrone left us with Arthas "fusing"/"Giving his body" with/to the LichKing.

Also... I'M SO EXCITED!!!

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Not to nit-pick but it's a Warcraft movie, not a World of Warcraft movie. Word is that it will actually have nothing to do with the events in the MMO

That's what I've heard too, but that was way back in like 2008.

I heard the movie was going to be a "Warcraft IV" in some ways, continuing a story where TheFrozenThrone left us with Arthas "fusing"/"Giving his body" with/to the LichKing.

I've heard that as well. If that's true the film should at least be interesting, there's a surprisingly large amount of unexplained inconsistencies about the state of Azeroth at the end of The Frozen Throne and at the beginning of WoW.

For example: why the Night Elves and Forsaken are members of the Alliance and Horde.

 

[MorganL4]

Blizzard are keeping a very tight-lid on story details, so we have no idea whether it will star established characters from the Warcraft universe, or bring in new ones.

So, there is a strong chance the plot will be "Nerdy, socially awkward, high school WoW addict gets pulled into his favorite video game to learn valuable lessons about friendship, honor and bravery from his favorite characters presumably after being embarrassed by the super popular, football playing, mega-jerk for asking the most beautiful girl in school out to see a sci-fi film."

Sorry if I sound bitter.

Yeah, they kinda made that movie already........ It was called "Warriors of Virtue". When I was a kid I thought it was cool, now not so much...

 

[KeyMaster45]

@Makabriel
I'd actually be in favour of that. How about a Warcraft 1 movie? That actually tells the tale of how Medivh opened the Dark Portal, got murdered and all that? I'd imagine most WoW-gamers never played the first (or second) one.

No, most havent' but Blizzard did put out number of books that cover the lore from Warcraft 1 and 2; The Last Guardian and Tides of Darkness. They were pretty good reads in my opinion.

As for the story content of the movie they've already said that it's going to be a brand new story and not simply the adaptation of an old one. They've been working on it for so long now there's no way that the lore it's going to establish will be relevant to where it's at now.

 

[Furbyz]

Blizzard are keeping a very tight-lid on story details, so we have no idea whether it will star established characters from the Warcraft universe, or bring in new ones.

So, there is a strong chance the plot will be "Nerdy, socially awkward, high school WoW addict gets pulled into his favorite video game to learn valuable lessons about friendship, honor and bravery from his favorite characters presumably after being embarrassed by the super popular, football playing, mega-jerk for asking the most beautiful girl in school out to see a sci-fi film."

Sorry if I sound bitter.

Yeah, they kinda made that movie already........ It was called "Warriors of Virtue". When I was a kid I thought it was cool, now not so much...

I'm sorry, sir, but I will have to disagree with you on Warriors of Virtue. That is the absolute pinnacle of Kung-fu Kangaroo movies. There isn't anything close to as good as it in the sub-genre of anthropomorphized kangaroo films as a whole. Why with such masterful dialogue as:

"Shit happens."

"Shit...happens?"

"Shit happens."

I daresay the film was robbed of a much deserved Oscar.

Seriously though, that movie is hilarious in all the wrong ways.

 

[elvor0]

Not to nit-pick but it's a Warcraft movie, not a World of Warcraft movie. Word is that it will actually have nothing to do with the events in the MMO

That's what I've heard too, but that was way back in like 2008.

I heard the movie was going to be a "Warcraft IV" in some ways, continuing a story where TheFrozenThrone left us with Arthas "fusing"/"Giving his body" with/to the LichKing.

I've heard that as well. If that's true the film should at least be interesting, there's a surprisingly large amount of unexplained inconsistencies about the state of Azeroth at the end of The Frozen Throne and at the beginning of WoW.

For example: why the Night Elves and Forsaken are members of the Alliance and Horde.

Ehh, it makes sense with the Night Elves, after they made first contact and helped save the world in W3. Give it some time, trading routes are set up, and eventually they forge some sort of alliance, neither the Nelves or Humans like Orcs, ergo they've got common ground. The enemy of my enemy is my friend after all.

The forsaken I suspect offered their services to the horde on the basis of not exactly being able to fit in anywhere else being Undead and all. I imagine tensions and friendly fire were quite rife when they first stepped in though.

 

[Guffe]

Not to nit-pick but it's a Warcraft movie, not a World of Warcraft movie. Word is that it will actually have nothing to do with the events in the MMO

That's what I've heard too, but that was way back in like 2008.

I heard the movie was going to be a "Warcraft IV" in some ways, continuing a story where TheFrozenThrone left us with Arthas "fusing"/"Giving his body" with/to the LichKing.

I've heard that as well. If that's true the film should at least be interesting, there's a surprisingly large amount of unexplained inconsistencies about the state of Azeroth at the end of The Frozen Throne and at the beginning of WoW.

For example: why the Night Elves and Forsaken are members of the Alliance and Horde.

Having only 2 alliances was pretty.. well... strange...

I mean the Undead only fought for themselves.
There were 2 clans of the night elves, the ones Hunting Illidan and the ones teaming up with the Humans.

The Orcs, Trolls and Taurens are united that's a given. But even amongst the Orcs there are those following the Demon Lords which basically makes them pawns of the Undead lords like Kiljaeden.

It isn't that easy, I hope they focus on the Heroes in the movie instead of a bigger picture with huge armies.