Warcraft movie gets Saving Private Ryan scribe

Director Sam Raimi says screenwriter Robert Rodat penning script for upcoming movie based on Blizzard's fantasy RTS/MMORPG universe.

"Yeah, thanks for coming in to audition for the Warcraft movie. We'll let you know."

Ever since director Sam Raimi got on board in July, the Warcraft film has been making headlines. Last week, word spread that the project would premiere in 2011 and would be subtitled "The Rise of the Lich King." The title would indicate that the film would chronicle the Lord of the Rings-ish story of Arthas Menethil, a benevolent paladin prince corrupted by the runeblade Frostmourne and turned into an undead lord.

As of press time, Blizzard Entertainment had not commented on the Warcraft movie's storyline. However, Raimi was all too happy to talk to MTV News about his vision for the film's plot, which he says will be true to the game franchise's spirit.

"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," Raimi said. "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."

"Actually, I think we were going for a different look for this character. But we've got your headshot on file in case we change our minds."

Then, Raimi revealed that the Warcraft movie will have the same screenwriter who won an Oscar nomination for 1997's Saving Private Ryan. "We would have our writer, Robert Rodat, really craft an original story within that world that feels like a World of Warcraft adventure," said Raimi. "Only obviously it's very different 'cause it's expanded and translated into the world of a motion picture." Rodat also penned the screenplays for Fly Away Home (1996) and The Patriot (2000).

First announced at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Warcraft film is being produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. The subject of much speculation, the movie was, ironically, once linked to Saving Private Ryan director Steven Spielberg. No casting information or release date has been announced.

144 Comments

  • 24k_Solid_Gold

    Posted Oct 26, 2009 2:27 pm PT

    I still don't want anybody to make a movie out of the Warcraft Universe. And I still don't want Raimi doing it, since they've decided to make one.

  • RyoGTO

    Posted Oct 16, 2009 3:22 pm PT

    Dumb. More sell out corporate garbage.

  • burn6

    Posted Oct 15, 2009 9:32 pm PT

    i would love for starcraft to be a movie too, because its more original compared to the lore of warcraft which is rougly based on warhammer universe.

  • LysanderNaFaile

    Posted Oct 15, 2009 4:21 pm PT

    My hopes arent too high... but at least there will be the possibility of undead.

  • fooltoast

    Posted Oct 15, 2009 3:32 pm PT

    This is going to be terrible, hopefully a hilarious kind of terrible though, like Street Fighter with JCVD.

  • Leviathan96

    Posted Oct 15, 2009 7:43 am PT

    Oh dear...maybe Activision blizzard will actually use some money for this...

  • LazyGamerX

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:36 pm PT

    @ColdfireTrilogy Your looking at what a movie makes in its first week out, that means nothing. Look at what the movies total theater gross was and the spiderman movies all made over 300million, the first one made over 400million.

  • aChaChaCha

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:00 pm PT

    Jason Isaacs for Arthas, guy looks like he was the model for the character.

  • -Celeste-

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 3:47 pm PT

    Wasn't Arthas corrupted by the Lich King spirit and then driven mad before he got the Frostmourne? I thought the sword only sealed away his soul and turned him into a DK. Pretty sure he went crazy before he got the sword.

  • Override3215

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 3:40 pm PT

    What is with all these movies lately? Plus they should know that half there fan base is addicted to the game and don't have time to watch a movie! and anyone else wouldn't have a clue as to what is going on!

  • dogpigfish

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 3:10 pm PT

    Oh Gee Golly! A Warcraft movie. I hope its as good as the Final Fantasy movies! Those are my fav! I am totally dressing up for this event! Hail Warcraft!

  • cyborg100000

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 2:39 pm PT

    I hope this'll turn out good, I don't have my hopes up much though. Hollywood have screwed Dragonball, screwed Doom and made Tomb Raider meh... Silent Hill was pretty good though, so was Resident Evil 1 & 2.

  • J0nGalt

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 2:27 pm PT

    After the last 3 spider man movies I have no confidence in Raimis ability to make a movie that isn't Emo trash. We will see.

  • wolvern28

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 2:05 pm PT

    Lol it's blizzard, if they make more than one movie we all know they'll turn the entire movies / trilogy into garbage due to their unending ability to ruin their own game of WoW over time.

    I now ask blizzard to revert the game back to the original content before burning crusade and for them to let the fans do the whole additions to their game. it'd cost less and oh... it'd be free to them.

  • prioritymail

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 1:44 pm PT

    What kind of story can they possibly come up with for a movie about the WoW universe?

  • alkaline_DnB

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 1:35 pm PT

    the first mortal kombat movie was epic, ktulu

  • alkaline_DnB

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 1:31 pm PT

    blizzard's smart.
    i bet they're going to give away access to in-game items that you can only get if you watched the movie. thus, every warcraft dork, including myself, will go see the movie just to get the item. sales, sales, sales.

  • ktulu007

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 1:30 pm PT

    Yet another movie based on a video game. Because it worked so well in cases like The Super Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, Mortal kombat, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Double Dragon, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within, Bloodrayne, and Hitman.

  • solidsnakedude1

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 12:57 pm PT

    im not going to even bother hoping this will be a good movie

  • Lisandro_v22

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 12:41 pm PT

    I hope it's good but I wouldn't bet a dime on it

  • BlueRaptor7

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 12:08 pm PT

    No offense GS, but the captions on the pictures make me want to stab myself in the lungs.

  • CoolRssL

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 11:21 am PT

    "The subject of much speculation, the movie was, ironically, once linked to Saving Private Ryan director Steven Spielberg."

    It's not ironic, it's a coincidence.

  • chrintov

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 11:07 am PT

    this is bad..i mean the screenwriter is awesome...but Raimi just can't pull this of...he can't and he wont. period. they need to drop his ass fast! and the story is not that of the game as he repeated like 5 times in the interview..it is original lore created by Chris Metzen what we see in the game is but a tiny part of the awesomeness that is the story of Warcraft.

  • MrHatnClogs

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:54 am PT

    "Raimi was all too happy to talk to MTV News about his vision for the film's plot, which he says will be true to the game franchise's spirit."

    Not a good sign when someone in Hollywood says this.......

  • MoutainBear

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:52 am PT

    why are they making a movie!

  • niceopossum

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:38 am PT

    lame

  • Rottenwood

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:28 am PT

    @fattass21

    I hope that's true, because I'd have better memories of my WOW playing days if I knew I was once ganked by the guy who wrote 'Saving Private Ryan.'

    Of course, he's also the guy who "wrote" the mega-turd "10,000 B.C.", so maybe all of that grinding fried his brain.

  • vicsrealms

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:24 am PT

    Its not necessarily the WoW movie, they are calling it that as not to confuse people who are far too easily confused over such simple things. Its a movie based on the lore (or whats left of it after Cataclysm comes out) that inspired the games. I just hope they do it justice as the original Warcraft games had a really good back story to them.

  • -Canas- posted Oct 14, 2009 10:15 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    -Canas-

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:15 am PT (hide)

    Since when did WoW even have a storyline nevermind something that could be a screenplay.

    Two solid hours of Orlando Bloom killing Bristlebacks in order to collect 50 blood shards

  • solidwarrior2

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 10:13 am PT

    a good director and a good writer ?! this movie might be good after all

  • fattass21

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 9:58 am PT

    @rottenwood

    maybe hr just love wow to much, lawl

  • Rottenwood

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 9:55 am PT

    Ouch. Guy went from writing an acclaimed Oscar-winning film that was also a box-office success... to writing the World of WarCraft movie. I'd ask what could possibly motivate him to do such a thing, but I suspect it involves a large check and an on-set trailer with flexible Swedish twins in it.

    I dig the feisty old lady in the photo, though, playing... hell, what was her name? She was in the Monastery and casters would spend hours farming for her funny hat.

  • TXMostWanted

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 9:34 am PT

    If this movie has the production scale of LOTR, this could be interesting...but otherwise, I'm staying away from WOW

  • amill68

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 9:27 am PT

    wow, i will be impressed if htey can pull this off. there is such a hardcore fan base that if they mess up a single detail, there will be a huge backlash. but ill probably go see it

  • carllfc

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 9:15 am PT

    I think im going to be sick.

  • frogman666

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 9:12 am PT

    one question. WHY?

  • gamesock

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:56 am PT

    Wow that Blood Elf character looked passable. I would be surprised if they can pull this off.

  • devotedgmr17

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:52 am PT

    @Sevey13

    Ok, so from your comment I can assume that you are actually familiar with the story and lore from warcraft. Now reread what I wrote, and notice I'm just saying hes crazy for saying WoW is not known for storyline. As far as destroying lore with the upcoming expansion, sure, you could say that, but to completely dismiss the story that's already there is just crazy.

  • blackfray

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:42 am PT

    Good, at least one person who has won oscar! the problem here is that blizzard only wants to make a blockbuster from Warcraft universe,it doesn't care about how artistic this movie is going to be(as far as it appears: choosing sam raimi as director) but I personally think warcraft's story and lore is just too rich and artistic that it can win oscar or even oscars!of course if it is done well...

  • Sevey13

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:42 am PT

    @devotedgmr17

    Right, the reason that Blizz is completely destroying the lore of the game with the upcoming expansion, including subverting some of the longest standing 'traditions' of the game, is story. I get it now!

  • devotedgmr17

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:38 am PT

    @gardneed holy sh!t, what on earth are you smoking??? WoW and the whole Warcraft universe is mainly based on lore and story. If you even knew how much story and history there is regarding Warcraft it would probably blow your mind. Saying that WoW is not about story is probably one of THE biggest ignorant statements I saw on this website. Sure you may play it for the gameplay, and totally disregard the story, but ever since the first one came out, as well as the expansions, and even the content updates, they are there to further along the already rich warcraft story.

  • monson21502

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:37 am PT

    and we thought the mario movie was bad. this will take the crown as the worst game to movie ever!!

  • TENTHROW2

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:35 am PT

    @ gardneed

    wow known for gameplay not story? you are kidding right? the movie isnt based on wow, it's based on the warcraft universe which is one of the longest standing fantasy universes around.

  • scorpgul

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:30 am PT

    Can't wait

  • Gamingod2272

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:18 am PT

    If I don't see a night elf say Groovy or Hail to the King Baby in this movie, I'm gonna feel ripped off.

  • okassar

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:11 am PT

    I'm hoping that this breaks the curse of the bad game movies...but...I mean come on,what are the chances of that, lollol. It's a bad idea (economically) to try to battle that curse.What if you lose to it just like ALL the other dozens of game movies ever made?

  • gardneed posted Oct 14, 2009 8:08 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    gardneed

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:08 am PT (hide)

    WOW is known for gameplay, not story. I see this movie as being a big pile of suck.

  • Inconnux

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:04 am PT

    I want 'minesweeper' the movie... now that would rock !

  • geist9049

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:03 am PT

    games and movies dont mix well...im suprised Sam wants to even attempt this

  • NerdEmperor

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 8:01 am PT

    SD Skarface did you even see Drag Me to Hell? An R rating wasn't even necessary because he didn't have to tone anything down. And the mainstream didn't love it that much because it didn't gross that much compared to the other summer films.

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