Duncan Jones to direct live action Warcraft movie

[ehra]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warcraft-movie-lands-source-code-416956

Duncan Jones is making the jump to big-budget tentpole movies, signing on to direct Warcraft, Legendary Pictures’ live-action adaptation of Blizzard Entertainment’s video game universe.

Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing for Legendary along with Blizzard and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Alex Gartner.

Taking an almost kitchen-sink approach to fantasy, Warcraft, which has grown to be one of the most popular multiplayer online role-playing games out there, is part fantasy, part science fiction and — depending on the game you’re playing — includes elements such as dragons and orcs, zombies and werewolves, and aliens and spaceships.

Legendary is keeping its script, written by Charles Leavitt, under wraps. The Warner Bros.-based production and finance outfit is eyeing a fall 2013 start and a 2015 release.

Jones’ producing partner, Stuart Fenegan, will executive produce while Chris Metzen will co-produce for Blizzard.

Warcraft  is a big jump up in terms of scope and scale for Jones, the filmmaker son of David Bowie known for his thoughtful sci-fi work.

Jones (CAA, Independent Talent Group, Bloom Hergott) made his feature debut writing and directing 2009's Moon, the well-regarded low-key indie sci-fi drama that starred Sam Rockwell and cost about $1 million to make. He followed that up with Source Code, Summit’s 2011 time-travel thriller that starred Jake Gyllenhaal and cost about $35 million to make. Warcraft is expected to have a budget north of $100 million.

Roven most recently produced  The Dark Knight Rises  and is a producer on Man of Steel, both of which involved Legendary. Atlas is in pre-production on David O. Russell’s follow-up to Silver Linings Playbook, an untitled project that will star Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. Production begins this March.
 
Legendary is prepping for the July 12 release of Guillermo del Toro’s monsters vs. mechas tentpole Pacific Rim.

So I guess this is still going to be a thing.

[Kotowboy]

Cue *nerds tentpole* jokes.

[Sigz]

hmm.

[Zantera]

Having played the Warcraft-games since I was a kid, and WoW for 6 years, I can't help but feel a bit skeptical. There's awesome lore and making a good movie wouldn't be impossible, but there's so much pressure on this project that it's almost doomed to not deliver.

Still, I'm excited.

[TioJorge]

Oh jeez. I can't see this being anything but a massive train wreck. I don't think it'll even see the light of day; I'm almost hoping for it. But if it does I shudder to think what a jumbled mess of Hollywood's worst cliches it'll be; not to mention the undoubtedly unfulfillable expectations the fans will set. I played WoW for about a year and got tired of it, but I played the original strategy war games for years and years, so I know that it could be amazing. Could be...an unreachable could be. Not when it's going for 'big budget' with all the bells and whistles and no doubt CGI galore they'll have. Granted, the guy behind Moon might be able to make it happen, but somehow I doubt he'll keep that feeling of a very concentrated almost-indie like approach. With something as huge as Warcraft, going for the 'less is more' approach would be smartest. Instead I'm betting they'll try and shove every single piece of lore into one movie. Eh.

[Gadough]

It's too late. This movie should have come out during the Wrath era (2008-2010). By the time it releases, no one will care anymore.

I guess I'm still cautiously optimistic. Who knows, it might be good. I simply don't expect it to rake in the big bucks.

[Zantera]

I'm curious what kind of story it will be. The Arthas-story has a lot of potential and would be logical, personally I loved the Illidan-story and how he went from good to bad, but I don't see Illidan happening.

[Gadough]

Illidan vs. Arthas would be the shit. Focusing on the villains would make for a much more interesting story than, for example, the Horde/Alliance conflict.

[Zantera]

Oh yeah. The fear is that the movie will be a war between Alliance/Horde, which could have been any fantasy movie really. I really hope they use the characters we think about when we hear "Warcraft". Not to cram them all into one movie, but Illidan, Arthas, Sylvanas, Garrosh or Thrall for example.

[Gadough]

I wonder if they'll throw a panda or two into the mix.

[Zantera]

Haha. The problem is that there's so much that could go wrong because they have so much to pick from. Logically they can make like 5-6 movies with different stories and characters, so there's lots of room for milking money.

[MoraWintersoul]

Illidan vs. Arthas would be the shit.

Oh god yes.

I love this story and everything that goes with it. Used to make up horrible fan fiction of it somewhere 'round 2005ish. Shit, I feel so old now.

[TL]

Eh. I'm more interested in the Ian Flemming biopic he's working on.

[Ryzee]

I always thought Thrall's origin story (as told in the book "Lord of the Clans" or something I think? It's been awhile) would have made a cool movie.

[Jaffa]

I could see this being pretty interesting. 

(Completely off-topic, but am I the only one who clicked on this thread immediately because it had 'Duncan' in the title and I expected something... else?)

[jcmistat]

I have serious doubt as this project was in the talks many years ago. If anything they should start from the beginning Warcraft I. What about full animated movie? Has anyone seen the new Heart of the Swarm cinematic for Starcraft? I wonder how long it took to make that and the budget. I want that in full length movie form for both WC and SC.

[HarlequinForest]

Decent director, but I have my doubts about the story.  I'm not familiar with Warcraft lore beyond WoW, but my experience with all Blizzard games is that the writing ranges from OK to bad. Even at best they're still with cliches; at worst, they're filled with laughably cartoonish characters (D3).

[Gadough]

I have serious doubt as this project was in the talks many years ago. If anything they should start from the beginning Warcraft I. What about full animated movie? Has anyone seen the new Heart of the Swarm cinematic for Starcraft? I wonder how long it took to make that and the budget. I want that in full length movie form for both WC and SC.

Yeah, that cinematic might be the best one Blizzard has ever made. I'd love to see a full-length film...but they're a game developer, not a movie studio. Unfortunately.

[Super Dude]

Am I the only one here who actually hates WarCraft lore since WoW came onto the scene?

[Kotowboy]

Duncan Jones would be my first choice to direct Trek 3 if JJ pulls out.

Second would be Joss Whedon and then Nicholas Meyer.

[masterthes]

I wonder if he'll cast his father in this?

[MoraWintersoul]

I wonder if he'll cast his father in this?

He'd make a good Malfurion Stormrage, and 30 years ago would have made a great Kael! Look at that hair:

 

[Ryzee]

I wonder if he'll cast his father in this?

He'd make a good Malfurion Stormrage, and 30 years ago would have made a great Kael! Look at that hair:

 

I was going to say that exact thing- Bowie as Malfurion or Kael please!

He's got a pretty sweet voice, maybe he could voice a dragon aspect or something.  Or Cenarius.

[skydivingninja]

I know Duncan Jones is really convinced that there can be a good video game movie, and he does seem very passionate about it.  I really hope its more of an Arthas story from Warcraft III than a Horde vs. Alliance movie, since we need great characters to focus on rather than a bunch of setpiece action scenes. 

So yeah, cautiously optimistic is my gut feeling right now.