Thought it seems that all things in Azeroth are quiet as we wait for news on the next expansion, that doesn't mean the IP is resting on its laurels in other media. In this week's column, we finally get a good look at the upcoming Warcraft film and take a look at other Comic Con announcements.
Warcraft Movie
As expected Legendary Pictures gave Comic Con Hall H attendees a real first look at the upcoming Warcraft film. Reactions seemed somewhat varied with most people walking away at least somewhat interested. The reaction become even more polarized when some of the footage leaked online. It will be interesting to see how Legendary will potentially respond to this leak. Perhaps they’ll release some sort of teaser or trailer publicly in the coming days.
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So, does the movie look good? Well, as I said there seems to be a wide range of opinions on what people saw in Hall H and this isn’t too surprising. It seems consistent that those who don’t know much about the franchise didn’t understand much of what was shown but were nonetheless intrigued by the visuals.
I don’t want to discuss the preview in any great detail to protect those who may want to stay 100% spoiler free but I will say this: The film is very Warcraft and has a tremendous amount of detail that fans of the franchise will no doubt notice and appreciate. The film looks like the baby of Blizzard cinematics and Avatar, which is probably a selling point for many.
Legendary also released a 360 video where you ride on the back of a flying gryphon over Stormwind. Check out below and for the best experience, watch on a mobile device with headphones.
While I can’t say I was completely blown away by the extended trailer, I am definitely in the excited camp. The visuals looked pretty good with a few odd bits here and there. It’s really all going to come down to the story and the performances. As a fan, it feels so great to finally see this world realized on the big screen. The big question is how will Legendary market this film? It’s going to be very fascinating to see what approach they take. The good news is that Legendary thinks they have a hit on their hands which is most likely why its release date was moved to June. I can’t wait to see more!
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Warcraft Chronicle: A New Lore Tome
Comic Con also provided more details on the already announced book, Warcraft Chronicle: Volume One. The image heavy book is all about bringing the Warcraft lore together in a cohesive, easy to understand collection of books. The first volume begins at the creation of the universe and wraps up around the time of the events that took place in Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, the first Warcraft RTS game. Here is a look at what the first book is all about.
“World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 is a journey through an age of myth and legend, a time long before the Horde and the Alliance came to be. This definitive tome of Warcraft history reveals untold stories about the birth of the cosmos, the rise of ancient empires, and the forces that shaped the world of Azeroth and its people.”
I’ve been excited for this project since it was originally announced and was hoping something like it would come along even before then. Sure there are plenty of resources, and great ones, online to look up lore questions but I’m really looking forward to having a nice collection of books detailing the universe of Warcraft on my shelf. I wonder if Red Shirt is a consultant or editor?
You can check out more of Peter Lee’s existing work at his gallery on the Sons of the Storm page here.
An Upcoming Hearthstone Announcement?
A few weeks ago we learned that there is going to be a Hearthstone related announcement on July 22. Since then we’ve learned a little more. The announcement will take place at a Blizzard-run Hearthstone event in San Francisco at the Folsom Street Foundry that will be open to the public. The event will also be live streamed on the official Hearthstone Twitch channel for those who can’t attend in person. Along with prominent members of the community, Hearthstone game director Eric Dodds will also be in attendance and is most likely the person who will make the anticipated announcement.
The doors open at 2:00 PM PDT on July 22 and the live stream will begin at 2:30 PM PDT.
For all of the details head over to the official event page.
The official site is also hinting at what’s to come with a small easter egg on their site. When you load the page, a sword falls from the top and lands in some snow just above the navigation bar.
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WoW and Hearthstone Legacy of the Void Goodies
Pre-orders have begun for StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void and the contents of the Digital Deluxe edition have been revealed. As is now customary, the Collectors (not yet available for pre-order) and Deluxe editions include digital goodies for other Blizzard games. World of Warcraft players will receive a battle pet Archon and you’ll also receive a new protoss themed card back for Hearthstone. Here is an image of them from the pre-order page which you can access here.
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Warcraft Movie Comic
Also announced at Comic Con is a new Warcraft comic that will serve as a prequel to the Warcraft film. Titled Warcraft: Bonds of Brotherhood, here’s a description from the official site:
“This thrilling adventure of bravery, bloodshed and brotherhood is an original story conceived by Chris Metzen, written by the award-winning Paul Cornell (Doctor Who) and featuring art from Mat Broome (Batman: No Man's Land, WildC.A.T.S, Witchblade).”
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The book is scheduled to go on sale sometime in May of 2016 just before the June 10th opening of the film. Were you at the Warcraft Hall H presentation? If so, let us know what you thought about it in the comments below!
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