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Raimi directing Warcraft movie - confirmed

Blizzard, Legendary, and Warner Bros. announce Spider-Man director will helm the long-in-the-works big-screen version of Blizzard's genre-dominating MMORPG.

At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, then-Vivendi Games-owned Blizzard Entertainment revealed a World of Warcraft movie was in the works. Legendary Entertainment, the production company behind The Dark Knight and the in-development Gears of War film, was the company lucky enough to land the project. At BlizzCon the following year, Legendary CEO Thomas Tull announced the film would be a live-action $100 million-budget epic, with a target release date of 2009.

Sam Raimi.

Sam Raimi.

However, as the appointed year began, little had been heard about the World of Warcraft movie--other than it would not be directed by Uwe Boll. Late Tuesday, though, Legendary, Blizzard, and distributor Warner Bros. officially announced the first film set in the Warcraft universe has finally found a director--and it's not Steven Spielberg.

Instead, the filmmaker in question is Sam Raimi, director of the multibillion-dollar-grossing Spider-Man films and the horror cult classics Evil Dead and Army of Darkness. His most recent effort was this year's Drag Me to Hell, a horror thriller that won critical acclaim despite a PG-13 rating and so-so box office returns. The Warcraft film will be produced by Atlas Entertainment's Charles "Chuck" Roven, Legendary's Tull, and Raimi producing partner Joshua Donen. Blizzard Entertainment's senior vice president of creative development Chris Metzen will coproduce.

Interestingly, today's announcement refers to the project as the "major motion picture based on Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning Warcraft universe." The term "World of Warcraft" is only mentioned in the footnotes of the release when referring to the "rich fantasy setting" of the game series, which began in 1994 with the real-time strategy game Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. (After being released on the PC, the game arrived on the Mac in 1996.) Currently, World of Warcraft one of those most popular massively multiplayer role-playing games in the world, accruing nearly 12 million subscribers worldwide since its launch in late 2004. No release date for the Warcraft film has yet been announced.

435 Comments

  • 9thedevilmaycry

    Posted Oct 13, 2009 4:04 pm GMT

    @shooters125
    next will be warcraft drinks, after that will be warcraft clothing, after that will be warcraft games of every genere, after that warcraft will be more popular than mario, after that kids will be obsessed with warcraft, after that there will be warcraft tv shows, after that there will be warcraft every thing, after that warcraft will be every where, after that 70% of the world will be obsessed with warcraft

  • Johan444

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 9:05 am GMT

    Bah, they should do a Warcraft 4 instead of focusing on WOW and some damn movies, I've waited long, just hoping that they would do a Warcraft 4, I know that it's probably not going to happen but as long as you have hope....

  • Darkroux

    Posted Sep 2, 2009 8:30 am GMT

    I don't really care for the movie I just hope it doesn't turn out bad like other game movies, cuz warcraft is awesome enough without!

  • shooters125

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 10:25 am GMT

    wow warcraft has been in everything books games and now a movie? what will they do next

  • matt_teh_gamuh

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 6:29 pm GMT

    and hoyholyhoy.... at least were not EMO BICH

  • matt_teh_gamuh

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 6:27 pm GMT

    this is risky, could change opinions of players for better or worse lol

  • Pierce_Sparrow

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 1:36 pm GMT

    Hmm, I don't understand it. Most of the fun that came out of the Warcraft series was playing it. The story, at least to me, was always just more of the same fantasy that we've seen before. Sam Raimi is a glimmer of hope, but I can't find anything original that would make this interesting. Now, I'm not a fan of WoW, but I'm not a fan of Halo either, and I would still go see that film. I guess I'm not the best judge, but still, I don't see what's so exciting about a movie based on Warcraft. That, and I doubt the movie would actually be based on WoW, probably the original Warcraft titles.

  • mannatu

    Posted Aug 6, 2009 10:40 am GMT

    LoL,not be directed Uwe Boll.That a-hole has done more to ruin video games for movies then any man alive.He should be shot! I bought Orcs vs. Humans when it was released in 1994.Best games ever!Hooray Warcraft movie!Hooray Sam Raimi,The director!Hooray!

  • believa

    Posted Aug 6, 2009 3:30 am GMT

    it will most likely only come out late 2035 when the world is about ready to explode anywayz ...

  • zaibutzu

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 10:35 pm GMT

    Oh yeah baby. This news rocks!

  • SpeedFreak21

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 8:56 pm GMT

    hoyholyhoy wow really? im no fan of wow anymore and havent been since 04 but You are dissing wow's fan base yet you like the ff series? that fan base is far larger and more retarded than wow itself. Congrats to a nerd dissing nerds

  • mat1775

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 2:18 pm GMT

    @hoyhoyhoy you have no life cause you just read it yourself

  • En_Sabah_Nur

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 2:17 pm GMT

    All I know is, it's a Sam Raimi movie. So Bruce "mother effin' Ash" Campbell is going to be somewhere in it....

  • ThaDirtySouth

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 2:09 pm GMT

    Wow has a story?

  • hoyholyhoy posted Jul 30, 2009 1:43 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    hoyholyhoy

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 1:43 pm GMT (hide)

    lol wtf is this? hahahaha! im laughing at all you fanboys actually anticipating this movie! milla jovavich! AHAHAHAHAHA!!! she would never do this! Oh my god i'm dying right now this is just to pathetic!

  • TurambarGS

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 8:56 am GMT

    I think the original narratives from Warcraft 1 and 2 would be much easier to turn into a movie - even Warcraft 3, at a stretch. However, I think there's simply TOO much stuff going on, too many quests and storylines, in WoW or its expansions, to get a story that would fit in three hours or less.

  • WilHiteWarrior

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 4:22 am GMT

    none of the above. Verne Troyer (Minime) as a gnome

  • Shmoe82

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 2:29 am GMT

    I hope it based more on the original 2 games more than WOW.

  • menusilect

    Posted Jul 29, 2009 9:46 pm GMT

    Can't waiz

  • NoLifeGamin

    Posted Jul 29, 2009 5:18 pm GMT

    OH GOD! a warcraft movie just makes me shudder! i mean its WARCRAFT!....meaning...OH RIGHT its gonna make a S**TLOAD of money since their are SOO many playing WoW and stuff already .....but man this better not be jacked up....but as long as there is a HOT actress playing as either a night or blood elf....im set

  • BlazeEagle

    Posted Jul 29, 2009 10:11 am GMT

    Warcraft is much more than just WoW dufuses! Sheesh!! There was 3 games & at least one expansion BEFORE WoW even existed.

    There’s plenty of lore to draw from. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just being sarcastic or are just plain incompetent.

    I hope the movie turns out good! It deserves quality treatment.

  • sexy_robot_man

    Posted Jul 29, 2009 4:31 am GMT

    This is great news.

  • NejiKusa

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 3:21 pm GMT

    drag me to hell is really the only horror movie i like, evil dead series isnt horror it's comedy

  • AphexSpawn

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 12:17 pm GMT

    uwe bolle tried to get the rights to this before and blizzard told him to go shoot himself, at least they realize what a movie desroyer he is.

  • Nino_ze

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 7:11 am GMT

    better Raimi than Uwe Bolt, the movie is going to be a success, just think about spider man

  • Odnomiar

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 4:01 am GMT

    It's gonna get a lord of the rings treatment, i know it... but with Raimis penchant for awkward humour, thoughtful characterization and fast paced hacktion! can't wait!

  • Neo_Gamer81

    Posted Jul 27, 2009 8:33 pm GMT

    I have my doubts but I feel there is a small chance that this film will be good. Live action is tricky to do with a film like this could be. It would have been a LOT better if blizzard did a feature length CGI movie.

  • millustr8r

    Posted Jul 27, 2009 6:40 pm GMT

    I want to see Danny Devito as a Dwarf.

  • tremor33

    Posted Jul 27, 2009 1:30 pm GMT

    A Warcraft movie? unless movie goers can sit in the dark theater for 17 hours a day for a few months watching the movie while surviving on mountain dew and hot-pockets, they wont get the true Warcraft experience.

    (My housemate caught the Warcraft virus so bad, he let his life go to sheet, and couldn't be bothered with the simple things in life like pissing in the toilet. Seriously, it was like he was playing while pissing, and couldn't look away from his computer screen long enough to make it in the toilet)

  • necronaux

    Posted Jul 27, 2009 10:05 am GMT

    Really? Sounds like it has trillogy written all over it. But, I'd give it a look if thet got Ozzy to reprise his commercial Prince of Darkness roll.

  • Goupil418

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 9:58 pm GMT

    4 strength 4 stam leather belt??? Level 18?? ahhhh !!

    You'll see a night elf getting his neitherweave bags get stolen right?

  • Trogeton

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 2:54 pm GMT

    Whoa is this for real

  • SirRailton

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 1:13 pm GMT

    This movie will be big in hype and fans will love it. I love Warcraft 3 more than I do World of Warcraft, so I hope the movie will focas on the historical side of Warcraft.

  • demiath_egge

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 11:41 am GMT

    This epic movie will begin with an exciting scene in which Thrall is charged with the monumental task of...killing 25 chicken before returning to the quest giver.

  • same__guy

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 11:24 am GMT

    I just hope it wont be filmed like an all action movie with like no character backstories and/or good plot. But since he is like a master with horror movies and other great movies, the characters are going to look great, most specifically the orcs.

  • wars45

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 9:40 am GMT

    io think they will make it 3 movies long

  • fattass21

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 7:55 am GMT

    its because they can never fit everything into one movie. 2 to 3 hours is just not enough to make a game into a movie. thats why some parts are extremely stupid, and some parts they leave out completely. and if they dont follow the story line, well, then its just stupid then. but a wow movie, seems to interest me just a bit XD

  • Buffalo2867

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 5:22 am GMT

    To those asking how we know the movie will suck before it comes out yet, the answer is that we're just following trends. I have yet to see a single good movie adaptation of a video game. Not one. Mind you Uwe Boll does like three fourths of them but still. Even the non Boll ones are pretty aweful or so so at best. Call me a pessimist but if this is good it'll be REALLY bucking the trend.

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 12:45 am GMT

    It's gonna be awesome!

  • Gammet25

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 11:51 pm GMT

    Hmmmm..... Never thought there would actually be a movie. This will be intresting

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 9:12 pm GMT

    At least its not Uwe Boll who's directing it(he has like 3-4 movies in IMDb's bottom 100 list, most for any director btw), its about time someone stood up to that bastard and have finally got a director with some good movies under his belt to direct a video game based film. i haven't played any warcraft games or WoW, so i don't really know what the story will be like, but now that we know theres a good director for it we can at least expect it to be good.

  • Parvez-

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 8:27 pm GMT

    GOING TO BE LEGENDARY!

  • E-i-N-e

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 7:29 pm GMT

    Two words. PURE AWESOME!

  • Onizou posted Jul 25, 2009 4:41 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Onizou

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 4:41 pm GMT (hide)

    I can't wait for the day Warcraft dies for good.

  • NearlyPrescient

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 5:09 am GMT

    @ Elvis4576
    it's not at all like making a game out of the Sims.
    the Sims is an open ended game, in which you 'sim'ulate life by giving characters stats, right?
    the Warcraft franchise has four games' worth of lore, and I challenge you to read up on it before you suggest that the story is as deep as the Sims'.
    also, people don't seem to be differentiating between WoW and the greater Warcraft franchise. WoW is set a year after Warcraft 3, and even then, there are things happening in that game other than people banding together to just kill a dragon, and there's pretty much absolutely nothing going on in the game (any of them) which is at all like the basic plot of LOTR (involving taking an item of power into enemy territory to destroy it and therefore save the world).
    suggesting that two popular fantasy franchises are obligated to share the same plot is tantamount to suggesting that two popular action franchises are obligated to have the same plot. just think if a CoD movie were to follow a Halo movie.
    if you know anything about both franchises, you'd understand they're not the same.

  • NearlyPrescient

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 4:59 am GMT

    as someone who can spend an hour leading scores/times on lore trivia bot channels, I can honestly say there's very little in the lore that they couldn't make an interesting movie about, and a lot of things that are out there that haven't actually been experienced in any of the games.

  • DaneGamer

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 4:41 am GMT

    @ T_C_W

    "Where is the storyline going to come from" - i hope that was sarcasm or that you can't read? Warcraft has a great story already! They should just use that, and if Raimi is good enough, he should be able to do something great with it - i'd rather have Peter Jackson making it though He already prooved he is better with these kinda movies... but of course we don't want it to be too much LotR alike, though i think it's gonna be like that! It can't be less than a 2 and a half hour movie it just can't!

  • Printul_Noptii

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 1:43 am GMT

    With all respect but Sam Raimi is a very good director how on earth did he accept to do this :S Did they blackmailed him or something or maybe he just loves WoW, beats me :S Anyway if this turns out like the Dungeon Siege or Dungeons and Dragons movie we are in for some frustration here xD Not even Raimi could save this movie IMHO Lol I also heard James cameron is planning on doing Battle Angel Alita, is he out of his mind or what...

  • T_C_W

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 1:17 am GMT

    where the story line going to come from, and typical hollywood will somehow make a lovey duby part forbidden love you noe, still would be funny seein a orc mak it wit some night elf mayb

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