World of Warcraft (Sam Raimi directs)

[Just Jeans]

Looks like Blizzard's super popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft), is getting the big screen treatment.

From SyFy Portal (http://www.syfyportal.com/news424006.html):

Millions play the MMORPG, now millions more will be able to experience a movie based on the popular "World of Warcraft" when a planned film is released in 2009.

The MMORPG (Massive multiplayer online role-playing game) genre of online roleplaying video games have been growing tremendously in popularity in the last few years, with revenue of more than $1 billion and memberships of more than 15 million in 2006.

Some science-fiction/fantasy properties have made the move to MMORPG like “Star Wars Galaxies,” “The Matrix Online,” “The Lord of the Rings Online,” and soon “Stargate Worlds" met with mixed success. But now things are turning around and a MMORPG is making the move to the big screen.

Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures recently spoke about their upcoming film about the largest MMORPG in terms of subscribers.

The panel revealed that the film would be live-action and have computer generated environments and effects. It will take place roughly a year before the events in the “World of Warcraft” game and will be from the Alliance perspective, considered the "good" faction in the game.

No director has been picked yet, but the current plan is for a 2009 release date.

This could be the next Lord of the Rings, or it could be the next Dungeons and Dragons. :shifty: I just hope they manage not to fuck it up as badly as the latter.

[BlakeTyner]

Meh. I still want to see a Diablo II movie. :D

~Blake

[Just Jeans]

I'd take a Warcraft II film over a Diablo II film... so at least with World of Warcraft, I sort of win. :D

[CampNewBlood]

WOW sucks. The graphics are terrible.

They need to make another Final Fantasy film that is actually based more closely to the games.

[Melanie Jarvis]

Please......no. This better be a friggin joke.

[Just Jeans]

They need to make another Final Fantasy film that is actually based more closely to the games.

They did. It's called Advent Children (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_Children). It rocked, but only if you knew the plot of the game pretty well. If not... well, at least you could admire the pretty CGI.

We'll never get another Final Fantasy film in the theater, but I wouldn't be surprised to see further direct-to-DVD films. I'd like to see another original Final Fantasy film -- seeing as that's the tradition in the game franchise and all -- but one that is more closely tied to the style of the games. I liked The Spirits Within, but grounding it on our Earth was a mistake.

[ZPowers]

What? I guess this has no connection with the actual plot of the Warcraft games, since WoW itself scarcely progressed the plot (even Kel'Thuzad and Illidan are still alive in that universe, I believe) and the games that lead to it had become pretty intricate story-wise. And since it takes place a year PRIOR, it can have even less to do with the actually story.

So, what, they'll follow some random quest? I think this is going to boil down to some random fantasy movie with a few in-jokes and a couple vague references to the Lich King, and the word 'Warcraft' tagged on to make a bit more money.

[Just Jeans]

What I'm taking from the article is that the film will act as a prequel that sets up the current state of affairs as seen in World of Warcraft. That's more than most video game films shoot for (Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil -- I'm looking at all of you).

[Ron]

Wait..They're basing a film on a video game that is more dangerously addictive than heroin?

[hack slash]

interest = 0

[Violent VictiM]

Please......no. This better be a friggin joke.

Ditto. For Christ's Sake...

[Spook]

According to AICN: (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41761)

Hey folks, Harry here for one last night in Austin before flying down to Geek Mecca aka Comic Con. The great thing about Comic Con is it shakes a lot of juicy fruit from the tree of movie coolness - and we get tons of material, but not much of it is exclusive. As it is a pretty intense rat race there of all us online types chasing the same stories. Well...

This is one of those exclusives that untold geek hours have been spent trying to get to the truth of the matter. I first heard this 3 weeks ago, and spent a lot of time trying to nail this story down. And we finally have.

The last major update that we had on AICN on the WORLD OF WARCRAFT came from Moriarty here, back in 2007 The last major bit I heard was a rumor that Uwe Boll was offering Blizzard untold tonnages of gold left crowns of undetermined origin to direct - and that allegedly BLIZZARD laughed his ass out of the place. In Mori's piece we were supposed to get this movie in 2009 with a $100 million budget. With LEGENDARY's main man telling BLIZZCON that it'd be over that figure. And there was some concept art.

Well, I don't have concept art. I don't have the firm release date, but I do know who is directing the WORLD OF WARCRAFT film and that is Sam Raimi. It will come out in trades later this week or next. But you can take this one to the bank. Sam is going to make a huge budget fantasy bit of unfuckingimaginable coolness - and it will be yanked from the WORLD OF WARCRAFT.

Now - isn't that the sort of Awesome we're supposed to get to kick start Comic Con with? I think so.

I really think this is going to be amazing. How about you?

This will kick all sorts of fucking ass.
ADDED:
Yikes. Sorry fellas. I guess I was too excited to do a search. I found the previous thread here:

http://www.f13community.com/board/showthread.php?t=707&highlight=world+warcraft

So just merge this into that, I guess.

[Biosynthnut v.2]

WOW sucks. The graphics are terrible.

They need to make another Final Fantasy film that is actually based more closely to the games.


Ok graphics whore aside...

They did make a FF movie. It's called FF Advent children.


On topic.

Way to much lore in this game...Even from a begining stand point... I had to read Arthas Rise of the Lich King just to get on how this started with him. As for the Horde and Alliance...that's like 3 movies right their on how they started...

[Sean [The Wildcard]]

Heh....well I can already hear some of my friends squealing with joy.

:duh:

I do't give a crap either way. I don't play W.O.W simply because it does't interest me.

[Just Jeans]

I don't play WoW, but I'm a big fan of Warcraft II and Warcraft III. A film set in that universe is okay by me, and having Sam Raimi involved would be awesome. It's just too bad this means no Evil Dead 4.

[Patrick]

I'll be passing on this. Final Fantasy is way better than this.

[The Dream Master]

It's just too bad this means no Evil Dead 4.

That was pretty much my reaction as well. : /

[Lance Lives]

Seeing as how I've always pretty much assumed that Evil Dead 4 will never happen, to me this just means an awesome director will be spending a shit load of time on something I couldn't care less about.

[Just Jeans]

I'll be passing on this. Final Fantasy is way better than this.

I'm the world's biggest Final Fantasy fan, but I'm still quite keen on Raimi's vision of WoW. There aren't nearly enough good fantasy films.

[DrLar]

mmm until we see a trailer, list of actors, writers, etc.. we shouldn't critic like that.. what about if it turns out to be better than LOTR series of movies?