We just got heads up for who will be in charge of the story in the 'Warcraft' movie. Yup! Blizzard's big bad game is moving on to the big screen. Director Sam Raimi talked to MTVNews about how he will tackle the 'Warcraft' movie and who will pen the story, while also giving us an idea of the overall process as of now:

"We want to be really faithful to the game…to the Horde and the Alliance and the mythology that takes place in the game, and the archetypes that the game presents. I think we would try and find touchstones within the game to make it accurate and true and choose one or some of the lands that are portrayed in the game with as much accuracy and authenticity as possible.

"But we would have our writer, Robert Rodat, really craft an original story within that world that feels like a 'World of WarCraft' adventure. Only obviously it's very different 'cause it's expanded and translated into the world of a motion picture."

Robert Rodat previous work was 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'The Patriot'. He had this to say about writing for the 'Warcraft' movie:

"I've never made a video game movie, but my approach would be to work with the best character writer I can find, which in this case is Robert Rodat, and tell a great character story within the fantastic environment of the world of WarCraft, while staying true to their mythology."

Well there you have it, either some of you are going to sleep happy or will be raging on the internet. I think this is a wonderful choice for the 'Warcraft' movie, but still videogame to movie usually tend to suck.

I hate Blizzard and their rubbish games.

I really expect the movie.

I like warcraft , I like WoW. The game show me the Azeroth ,and now i can't live without the things on the Azeroth.

Im just trying to figure out how this movie is going to be good and not like LotR ( or any other fantasy movie ) at the same time. Im fairly certain its either going to be really terrible or really generic.

I hope it will not be terrible.

To tell you the truth im quite looking forward to the movie, would be an awesome experience to see a place you played at being on the big screen.

Although I am no longer playing, I still look forward to seeing how this turns out.

What ever happened to that EQ movie?

At first I was really excited about WOW movie, but then every information that has been released from day they said that they are making it is just pushing me forward to think that this is going to be some classical Holywood no brainer with some "cool" action scenes in it. I now just hope it will be good enoought to go trought it and do not leave theatre.

Originally posted by upupeng

Well there you have it, either some of you are going to sleep happy or will be raging on the internet. I think this is a wonderful choice for the 'Warcraft' movie, but still videogame to movie usually tend to suck.

 

I tend to agree. There have only been a few games made into movies that were decent. However, with Sam Raimi, Legendary Pictures, and now Robert Rodat, it's going to be pretty hard to make a bad movie. They would really have to try to screw it up.

I'm just hoping they stay true to the lore, "look and feel" of Warcraft. Even if they completely screw that up, I still think it will be a fantastic action/fantasy movie. Eh, only time will tell.

Originally posted by amylove

Im just trying to figure out how this movie is going to be good and not like LotR ( or any other fantasy movie ) at the same time. Im fairly certain its either going to be really terrible or really generic.

It's being directed by Sam Raimi. That guy is pro.

I'm betting the movie will be very much like their game-intro cinematics.

"Saving Private Ryan" was difficult enough, but I have a feeling that "Saving World of Warcraft" will be impossible.  Maybe in the end, when the character asks, "Was it worth it?  Was I a good character?", the thumbs down and booing will crescendo.

I dont give a damn about WoW but with Sam Raimi as a Director?

It would only need Bruce Campbell to make it awesome. :D

"I've never made a video game movie, but my approach would be to work with the best character writer I can find, which in this case is Robert Rodat, and tell a great character story within the fantastic environment of the world of WarCraft, while staying true to their mythology."

This (highlighted).

It could work if they stick to that. Thinking back, Warcraft II & III, both had very interesting characters (Thrall, Arthas, etc.)

Plus, Warcraft provides a solid lore.  Hm...personally I'd like to see the story of how Thrall came to power (curse you Blizzard for canceling 'Warcraft Adventures Lord of the Clans'!)

Ah, well...we'll see. At least Uwe Boell is not involved, heh.

Originally posted by Transmet

Ah, well...we'll see. At least Uwe Boell is not involved, heh.

Not to you...Not ever to you.

I can't wait to see this!! I'm going to be on the edge of my seat  chewing my fingernails at the gripping action and suspence of the early part of the film. Will  Tharg  the bold orc warrior get  his ten scorpid tails, and will he unlock the mighty secret to Cactus Apple Suprise!?...

......I myself cannot wait until the big scene where he betrays his cunning rogue comrade by rolling need on an epic dagger......

For some reason, when I think of this movie, I think of Michael Baysplosions and nothing else.

Hope it will be true to the game and the protagonists will use deadly boss mod.

Originally posted by Tardcore

I can't wait to see this!! I'm going to be on the edge of my seat  chewing my fingernails at the gripping action and suspence of the early part of the film. Will  Tharg  the bold orc warrior get  his ten scorpid tails, and will he unlock the mighty secret to Cactus Apple Suprise!?...

 

......I myself cannot wait until the big scene where he betrays his cunning rogue comrade by rolling need on an epic dagger......

 

No doubt - there is nothing epic about WoW - the movie will have to add so much that no player will ever see that they might as well call it a movie inspired by some lore in a game called world of warcraft that stole heavily from the 1980s table top pencil and paper version of warhammer fantasy battle.

/sigh

Originally posted by Transmet

"I've never made a video game movie, but my approach would be to work with the best character writer I can find, which in this case is Robert Rodat, and tell a great character story within the fantastic environment of the world of WarCraft, while staying true to their mythology."

This (highlighted).

It could work if they stick to that. Thinking back, Warcraft II & III, both had very interesting characters (Thrall, Arthas, etc.)

Plus, Warcraft provides a solid lore.  Hm...personally I'd like to see the story of how Thrall came to power (curse you Blizzard for canceling 'Warcraft Adventures Lord of the Clans'!)

Ah, well...we'll see. At least Uwe Boell is not involved, heh.

Just read the book Warcraft: Lord of the Clans if you want to know about thrall..

Lol to some of these responses.

Sam Raimi is a good director. If the studio doesn't fuck him over and let him have creative control it could be a good character based adventure set in dear old azeroth.

Barrens Chat... needs to have barrens chat. lol

Well bitch all you want but be thankful Uwe Boll didn't get the script and fsck the IP in the ass.

Honestly though, I don't think putting the "World of Warcraft" experience into a movie would be all that enjoyable. Unless it was centered around Warcraft III, then it has potential to be cool, and work up from there to current WoW timeline.

All I ask is keep that no-talent, toe-thumbed Megan Fox out of it... unless she's a blind-deaf-mute Troll then that's ok.

But who... who would play Arthas?

There have been good video game movies -Tomb Raider 1, Mortal Kombat 1, Resident Evil 1 & 2 come to mindf first but I know I'm forgetting some.

And they couldn't do much better in writing or directing than what they have.

But I am still extremely worried that if they try to mimic the combat dynamic in any way, or Wow's exaggerated art/gear/races in any way (Hellboy may have shown us that it's possible but still...), then they are going to fall flat on their faces.  And if they don't, they will lose much of what distinguishes Wow from any other game or fantasy story.  I'm hoping that the problem is just my limited imagination.

Originally posted by Fennris

There have been good video game movies -Tomb Raider 1, Mortal Kombat 1, Resident Evil 1 & 2 come to mindf first but I know I'm forgetting some.

And they couldn't do much better in writing or directing than what they have.

But I am still extremely worried that if they try to mimic the combat dynamic in any way, or Wow's exaggerated art/gear/races in any way (Hellboy may have shown us that it's possible but still...), then they are going to fall flat on their faces.  And if they don't, they will lose much of what distinguishes Wow from any other game or fantasy story.  I'm hoping that the problem is just my limited imagination.

Hmmm I actually thought those films were terrible. The only truly good game-to-film conversion I have seen is Silent Hill. That film was shockingly good and yet managed to retain all the visuals, sound effects and atmospere from the games.

I dont really see the problems that you described regarding WoW. They dont need to worry about including all the "special WoW abilities" or the exagerated art style because the film isnt gonna have an EQ2 film or an Age of Conan film to compete against. In other words the things that make WoW a success in the computer games industry will have little relevance in the film industry. For example the animated intro for WoW doesnt have the same exagerated art style of the game. It doesnt need to......and yet everyone still recognises it as WoW.

Needless to say, looking forward to it.

Warcraft has some great lore behind it. A lot of good characters like Arthas, Ronin, Thrall, Krasus, Vashj. It ain't LOTR but the high-fantasy pseudo-science setting isn't something that I've seen often in movies.

I just hope there aren't any gnomes.

 There will be gnomes - and the leader will be Mini Me