In this week's list, Jon Wood looks at the idea that a successful Warcraft movie could set off a rash of MMO-based films and gives his ideas on five that could be likely candidates.

The developers over at Blizzard have been creating and expanding the Warcraft universe and the world of Azeroth since 1994 when they launched their first title, an RTS by the name of Warcraft Orcs and Humans.

Since then, and with the launch of their MMO, Blizzard's franchise has become a worldwide brand, its lore beginning to become as well known as some of the stories that make up classic fantasy canon. As with all things popular from other media, Hollywood has taken an interest and sometime in 2011, we're going to see a Warcraft movie, directed by Spiderman and Xena head man Sam Raimi set about one year prior to the beginning of the MMO.

Reading what little information exists about this movie gave me an idea for a more relaxed list this week. We've already looked at movies that would make good MMOS, so I figured I'd take the time to count down the five MMOs that I'd like to see made into movies and no, Warcraft won't be on the list. They're already making it.

Let me start at the outset by saying that I write this with the full realization that none of these films are ever likely to be made. I just thought it might be fun to make a list and to see the discussion that it generates. So maybe it would be better to say that these are five MMO movies I could see bundled together in some discount bin at a Blockbuster some day. So, IF Hollywood were to start making MMO movies en masse, these are the five I think most fitting and likely.

Read Five Possible MMO Movies

Although it's not an MMO (YET!), I would like to see Mass Effect as a movie.  I believe it could rival Star Wars in it's cult following.

Now City of Heroes/Villians would be a kick ass movie, it already reminds me of the last mutant heroes movie, I just forgot the name atm.

I think a Everquest movie is coming http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1122764/

City of Heroes/villains could actually be quite cool if done right. Unfortunately, my personal skepsis, says that this isn't likely to happen (neither getting it made, or that it would be made right, if it was made), and I'm a fan of the game - so I would propably watch it anyway

Tabula Rasa could also make a quite cool movie, but somehow I believe, that even if it got good, people would use all their argumentation powers, claiming it to be a rip-off of some other movie(s) already made

And perhaps it is just me, but I just picture an EVE movie, as an expanded Star Wars movie.. now with 4 factions instead of just Imperial and Rebels.. and with no jedis of course. But other than that I would actually believe that a movie about 4 interplanetary kingdoms at war, which would make all wars on earth look like insignifficant battles, would be a great concept. And if nothing else, then the large spacewar scenes.
I can just imagine it... and though I imagine it as quite cool, I can't stop imagining a Death Star hovering by, in the background at different times

I'm apparently quite bad at imagning movies or quite skeptic :/

I agree with all of them, except City of Heroes. Champions would make a better original  super hero movie, out side of DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

Originally posted by purewitz

I agree with all of them, except City of Heroes. Champions would make a better original  super hero movie, out side of DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

While I think a movie of either game could be awesome, I have to wonder, what would make Champions a better contender for a movie, than CoX? I have a little difficult seeing it. In CoX, the Freedom Phalanx Has been around for ages, and the game takes place just after the Rikti War, which could easily be made into a Superhero actionfilled-sci-fi-war-movie, but in the champions universe, while you certainly could make up a script for it, the most talked-about event (or so it seems at least, if you read through the CO website) is the Battle of Detroit, and where this also could be made into a killer script, it has one open fault: you wouldn't be able to used the established signature group, since it wasn't made yet at the time. James Harmon IV (Defender) becomes a hero because of the Battle of Detroit, and forms the Champions a few years later.
Since these high-lighted moments in their respective universe obviously would be the most interesting to make a movie about, it clearly has that fault in the CO universe. You could of course use some completely other characters, but it would just make people wonder, and in that case, you could just as well make it in any other superhero universe

Good read, and I agree, no more D&D movies, ever.

EVE universe would make a great show on SyFy channel on Friday nights, a la Farscape perhaps, and could focus on quite a few aspects of it over time.

As for my own choice, Matirx Online, someone should make that game into a movie, don't you think?

(Just don't make the sequels jump the shark)

As for me, I'd like to see a Guild Wars and/or a Fallen Earth movie.

Yes, I know there have been both fantasy and post-apocalyptic movies, but I like the setting and lore for both of these games particularly well.

I also think The Secret World or Hellgate: London would make for pretty cool film settings.

Of the five games you mentioned, I think I'd be most inclined to see the movie version of Tabula Rasa, based solely on its setting, assuming the five films were all roughly equal in quality.

A Tabula Rasa movie would be awesome. I loved the intro cinematic. Was quite epic.

I'd also love to see a Guild Wars movie.

"EVE universe would make a great show on SyFy channel on Friday nights, a la Farscape perhaps, and could focus on quite a few aspects of it over time."<--I think this is a great idea.

But my vote of the 5 being made into a movie would have to be City of Heroes.If I remember right the idea was optioned by some production company years ago but nothing ever came of it.

All the elements are there for a good action packed movie.Just needs someone to do it.

And can you imagine what that would do for the games subscriptions numbers?

I haven't really thought about it before, but when you mentioned EVE I was...well...I think that would make a very, very good big budget sci-fi series on tv...or maybe a series of TV movies. You got me hopeing...damn you...hehe.

btw...totally agree. No more D&D movies!!!

Originally posted by m240gulf

Although it's not an MMO (YET!), I would like to see Mass Effect as a movie.  I believe it could rival Star Wars in it's cult following.

 

 

Couldn't agree more, I think Mass Effect could be a great sci-fi movie.

 The only 'MMO' I would love to see given a proper movie treatment would be Hellgate: London. Sure it has its flaws and was killed off (in the American market) by Namco Bandai, but as a setting for some compelling story, HGL had it in spades. Mankind at the brink of extinction from an interdimensional threat. Small bands of survivors fighting for existence and a burned out world.

I'm one of those that miss the game daily. I haven't seen gameplay any where near as satisfying in any other game, and the lore they were trying to share was never given its due. A film treatment could have character, explosions, and monsters. Make it a fitting tribute to a good game doomed from its start because the people behind it had no clue as to how to make it profitable.

 I think it's a tad too late for an EQ movie, but I would sadly probablly still go watch it.

 As far as DDO made into a movie. Just because a couple of people managed to get the rights to make a movie based on DnD and failed very badly. Doesn't mean someone else couldn't come along and do it right.  I think if I did it myself, it would end up being mostly action and a little story.

I would enjoy a Warhammer movie but not a WAR movie.

The setting of the classical Warhammer fantasy roleplaying game would be great. The dark horror and evil humor of Warhmmer would make a great movie, particulary Jack Yeovils "Drachenfels" would make a fantasy movie in class with certain Jackson movies.

A WAR movie however would be cheesy and superficial. lets stay away from that.

To be honest I think that MMOs so far had a lore that is just to bad to make a good movie.

Hopefully this will change as some companies actually started to hire competent authours to make the lore now. Jeff Grubb (Arenanet, wrote the classic FR series Curse of the azure bonds and a few other good novels) and R.A Salvatore (who works on Copernicus) are 2 good examples.

Singleplayer RPGs usually have a better lore than full MMOs, it is really odd since MMOs have so much resources. There are some with OK lore that uses borrowed IPs but none of them have really made justice to fellows like Tolkien and Howard.

Well, maybe SWG was as good as parts of the original lore, it had nothing worse then Jar-Jar at least.

Don't know about City of Heroes / Villains.   There are too many super hero movies out there.  It would get lost in the white noise of so many in that genre.  I guess I should put the flame suit on for this next part.

I would like to see a World of Warcraft movie but i guess that may actually come to be since they are getting Sam Raimi to direct one in the near future.  I am worried about any movie made from an MMO though since the reverse track ( any MMO made from the premise of a Movie ) has never yielded success.

Originally posted by hailtothor

I haven't really thought about it before, but when you mentioned EVE I was...well...I think that would make a very, very good big budget sci-fi series on tv...or maybe a series of TV movies. You got me hopeing...damn you...hehe.

btw...totally agree. No more D&D movies!!!

I think it would fit a lot better in a serie or in a Anime than in a actual movie. Eve, the Anime.. It works.

As for D&D, a forgotten realm or Dragonlance movie would still work, but the general crap they made earlier is just crap.

Nice username BTW.

I agree with warhammer and tabula rasa.

Warhammer would be better fantasy movie then wow, at leas tin my opinion and tabula rasa's intro movie was epic.  first time I saw saw it, I thought this should be a movie.  Has a great story to boot.

I however don't really think that a massive population of super heroes would make a good movie.  Alot of cartoons took a stab at it and didn't really turn out.  Justice league or the equivilant marvel movie would be enough superheroes in one movie.  But not thousands...

EDIT: oh and  iagree with some of the other posters.  Eve wuld make a really good tv series or at leat a mini series.  Maybe stick the Firefly people in Eve's world hehe.

Originally posted by Loke666

Originally posted by hailtothor

I haven't really thought about it before, but when you mentioned EVE I was...well...I think that would make a very, very good big budget sci-fi series on tv...or maybe a series of TV movies. You got me hopeing...damn you...hehe.

btw...totally agree. No more D&D movies!!!

 

I think it would fit a lot better in a serie or in a Anime than in a actual movie. Eve, the Anime.. It works.

As for D&D, a forgotten realm or Dragonlance movie would still work, but the general crap they made earlier is just crap.

Nice username BTW.

Yeah...and EVE anime might work rather well. That universe has allways intrigued me, so any anime/series/movie that shows up would, initially, get my attention.

And yeah...if they put some money into it and get some of the goog D&D writers to coloberate, it might be good. I'd prefer Forgotten Realms over Dragonlance though...

Hehe...you got a related username I see. Mine is a salute to my heritage...plain and simple :)

Of the 5 listed I think Tabula rasa has/had the best content to work with ( to make a movie of I mean ). It did indeed immediately set the atmosphere with the intro movie . You actually felt like you were entering a "movie " . I still think it's a shame it was canned after just one year and am hopeful someone will pick up the license .