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Whoa - Sam Raimi to Direct the World of Warcraft Movie!

by Alex Billington
July 21, 2009
Source: Ain't It Cool News

Our trustworthy friends over at Ain't It Cool News have landed a huge scoop today. They're reporting that the beloved Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi will be directing a movie based on World of Warcraft. This movie has been "in the works" ever since the game became the all-time greatest MMORPG, however we haven't heard anything about it in a while. In fact, our last update on this was late last year, in which Blizzard's president Mike Morhaime did at least say that "there are still plans for a World of Warcraft movie" but that the script was still being developed. Now it looks like things have finally fallen into place.

If you're still too shocked to believe this news, well, Variety just confirmed it as well, so it's not just a rumor. "At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story," Raimi said in a statement. The current plan is for Raimi to supervise the development of the World of Warcraft movie over the next few years and to shoot it after he finishes Spider-Man 4, which is scheduled for 2011. Legendary and Blizzard Entertainment are producing, with Warner Brothers distributing. In addition to hiring the director of Spider-Man, the studio has added The Dark Knight producer Charles Roven to the creative mix. This is going to be an epic movie!

My first impression is that this is great news, unquestionably so. They could have easily gotten any number of incapable directors, ranging from Uwe Boll to Stephen Sommers, but they chose to go with someone who, I believe, is truly a great filmmaker. Beyond that, he has a lot of experience working with "monsters", which there are plenty of in the World of Warcraft universe. Legendary's Thomas Tull previously said they were "looking for someone of Zak Snyder (300) or Chris Nolan (The Dark Knight) calibre." Looks like they found him! Head over to Wikipedia for more info on the World of Warcraft universe if you're not familiar with it.

Filed under Hype, Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

PJH

WHAT?!?
fail

"Sam Raimi will be directing a movie based on World of Warcraft." it's based on Warcraft not World of Warcraft
wm

PG-13
james

2# World of Warcraft is Warcraft. Just in 1st person.
http://www.bleepinggeek.com Pete the Geek

Cool! Now as long as they don't let him anywhere near the writer's room, this movie might have a shot at being good. Been a few years since we've had a really good sword and shield fantasy movie on the big screen.
crumb

AWESOME.
Xerxex

anybody remember this quote/question? "Why are you, unpopular with Chicago police department?" anyway, why? don't really see a point, but give me trailer.
anitadrink

Bruce Campbell needs a major part Sam, make it happen.
http://Www.twitter.com/nickpapa Nick Papa

Fuck me this is exciting... Too bad it won't be released for years.
aryan skinhead

The fact that its a video game - is the first sign of this being a major box office flop.
Sabes

Because I've played the game for so long...I'll see it no matter if it looks bad or not. Am I excited about it? Not really. @ #8, though Bruce Campbell is awesome, if they wanted to make it serious...then I don't see him in it.
Tra la la la la di da

Let's say it together...S-T-A-R-C-R-A-F-T!!! This movie will come out before the 2nd game comes out. lol Sometimes I hate Blizzard.
Tsjop

this will be overhyped, looking forward to it nonetheless
lego

lawl, i can dig bruce campbell as a lvl 80 paladin.
Cody

Kinda pisses me off considering the Warcraft universe is an exact copy of the warhammer universe....Ive said it before and ill say it again, Where the fuck is a warhammer empire vs chaos movie. This is gonna be a lame pg-13 fru fru WOW movie, when Warhammer has unlimited potential for badassery. Also WAR>WOW. WoW fanboys can go to hell there I said it
Faust

Whats WAR?!?!?! exactly....
Wylles

War: Warhammer Warhammer: http://www.warhammeronline.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_Fantasy_Roleplay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_Online:_Age_of_Reckoning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War
Zzz

and warhammer universe is based on lotr universe
m4st4

Warhammer? Who cares? Sam Raimi is directing WOW...at Warner...with Legendary Pictures! EPIC!!!! XDDDD
Aboud

What the hell is Warhammer? And enough jokes about Bruce Campbell taking on the role of Arthas :p
mORPH

yeah man, bruce campbell had better be in this.
roy

Finally after years waiting there is some new news about it. Hahhaha P.S Kazzak server EU is the best
Men of honor

What??!!! Sam Raimi is directing this??? Noooo..... Major screwup coming ahead... I was really hoping for PETER JACKSON to direct this as by judging his epic masterpiece LOTR. That was not just a movie.. i was an experience of a life time which rocked everyone on this planet to its core..... not forgetting to mention his LOTR bagged most of the oscar awards....
Bryan

I'm actually excited about this. At least it's in the hands of someone who could do the job. I was just really hoping for a CGI film much like their cinematics they've produced for each of the expansions. The are breathe taking check them out. http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/downloads
Robbie

This sucks..
Shitbird

damn... Does Rami still have to do another Spiderman
Ariel

Yeah, enough with the spiderman movies. I vaguely remember the second one and couldn't even tell you about the third. I say skip spiderman and do WoW. I hate WoW but I hate spiderman even more. Let me change that, I don't hate it (WoW), I just don't know it. I do know spiderman and it's limping on it's last leg.
esophus

CG 3D will be the way they sell this movie i promise you guys this will not be live action. No way you could do this live especially in the shadow of LOTR and THE HOBBIT on the horizon...plus lets be honest its the graphics of WOW that sells the mmo.
cindarr

Agree with #28, I hope his movie will be on CG base. Not real life actors, if they do so there will be drama like wanting more air time and etc. CG all the way for this movie.
Quanah

Huntard.
http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

Part of me is very excited at the prospect - he's only really had one complete misfire (due to studio meddling) in thirty years and he's back on form with Drag Me To Hell. Plus he loves fantasy and was in the running for The Hobbit so the genre is clearly close to his heart. But the rest of me just thinks, damn, Evil Dead 4 is on the back burner now! You've got to get that one made before Bruce gets arthritis!
http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

#28/#29 I think an animatronic/CG hybrid much like Del Toro championed in Pan's Labyrinth and Golden Army is the way to go for effects. You're right that the Tolkien prequel is it's main competition. But full CG would seem a bit cheap & soulless next to the extensive location work and practical effects we're likely to see in The Hobbit.
Bezelbub

OMG I just had a nerdgasm!!!!!!
Cat

Omg they're going to screw up one of the greatest games ever! What a surprise.
bozoconnors

Good to see that the ability of WoW to flush all the trolls out of hiding isin't in danger.... Blizzard could hammer this home themselves if need be. I think Raimi is going to do fine with the production/writing that Blizz has already honed to a razor edge. Hopefully, as a director, he just does some fine adjusting and leaves the creative flow alone. #32 Absolutely agree. Since it's Legendary/Blizzard, I'm thinking 300 on crack/steroids. Though... hoping, that what's sure to be the biggest marketing onslaught since Star Wars, doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth or raise expectations to astronomical heights.
SuicidalOptimist

Haha, that's awesome! I was always against a live-action WoW movie, because I was afraid it would look like the old TMNT movies. And the WoW cinematics were pretty good mini-movies already. But, since I grew out of WoW and quit the game, I don't care anymore. They could easily do a live-action/CGI hybrid as others already mentioned. I'm excited to see what Raimi does. And he HAS to give Bruce a little role, come on! Just make him a bartender in one of Stormwind's taverns or something.
Richard

Wow, this is going to be Epic (well for the millions of people who play WoW anyway lol, or played it and quit like I did). If they do this right, they could pull off something almost LOTR quality, yes that's almost blasphemous but I think it could happen. I really hope they have a Alliance and Horde grudge match and their war get interrupted by something much more evil and they have to come together to defeat it, like the Lich King or something, man the possibilities to make this awesome are endless!
Tra la la la la di da

Thing is, it'll probably be a HUGE hit simply because of the WOW fans that'll see it. lol
Caleb

he's going to shit on this like he did spider-man
David Banner

#36: No-no, Bruce should be the leader of Ravenholdt WoW has some 11mill players worldwide, maybe closer to 11.5. And 5-6 of these are in Asia, and we can prob add another 5-8mill ppl who have played wow, Warcraft, Diablo, in the past. WoW players are loyal, and have been around for years. Potentially 20mill Blizzard fans that HAVE to see this flick. That's a great starting point for a series. And there lies the greatest problem....what will happen to Evil Dead 4 now? By the time Sam has the chance to start thinking about ED4, both he and Bruce will be in wheelechairs... Now, anyone read about this: The WoW-movie is set 1 year before the games (I cannot remember where I read this, it might have been in a pressrelease), what does that mean? What is (only) 1 year in this universe? I stand to be corrected on this last rant
Scott

HUH??! yeah...ok...whatever...
Todd

Thats really weird if there making a movie off a game that everyone hates. If the movie comes out possibly 1/10 chaces people are going to see the movie. Bcecause if 8 million people play WoW 650 million people dont. The makers are only going to make little amount of money to the movie.
Milksack

@42 So all the big hits have at least 650 million people that go see them amirite? And what made you pick 650 million of all numbers? Say an average of $7 per ticket sold multiplied by about 15 million (WoW players and those who succumb to the hype much like I did with Star Trek which I never cared for) then subtract say $50 million for production/marketing costs = $55,000,000 on opening weekend.... You see this isn't just going to be a movie solely devoted to a 11-15 million person fan-base, but a fantasy movie angled to towards anyone who enjoys that sort of thing......and trust me there's a LOT of people that are into fantasy *shifty eyes at Lord of the Rings*
David Banner

To answer my own post, no#40; "The WoW-movie is set 1 year before the games", producer Thomas Tull, Blizzcon 2007. I would prefer if they went much farther back in time, more then only 1 year, and did not really lean too much on current games and expansions, making the first movie like a 'prequel' to the games. But, if its not a 'prequel' or a 'historical piece', it's gunna be fun and see what they add in the first WoW movie, only 'Vanilla' WoW, or maybe some elements from both/all expansions-and ohyeah, there will be more then one movie made. Guessing it might be tied into the release of the third expansion pack, Naga's and stuff. Third expansion should be out before the 2012 release of this movie, so maybe around fourth expansion Some fun from Bruce Campbell, ComicCon2009: "Campbell says he has no idea what Raimi has in mind for the movie, and that he only just heard about the job when we did. But then he says something that will lift all of our geeky hearts: when it comes time for casting, Bruce says, "I'll get a call." And Raimi will say to him, "You play some schmuck. Some idiot guy. Some garbage man." "Chris Metzen(Blizzard senior VP of creative development ) brought up Campbell at Comic-Con and suggested he might play a CG-based character, like a goblin"
fabledman

ok well if its realy set one year behind, then yeas, it should go alot farther back. it should explain the lore of the entire WOW game. like why exactly did the BE's swithch over to horde? stuff like that. yah imma nerd STFU im looking forward to it and ill be happy when it comes out.
Howseeeyy

Sam Raimi was a bad choice I say, it's gonna be watered down and severely PG. 300's Zak Snyder would have PERFECTLY portrayed the dark and brooding seriousness that this movie should have.Imagine Warcraft universe in 300 style? It's a beautiful dream that will now more than likely never come true. To hell with all the 12 year old whiny shit heads that prefer WoW over oxygen, make this movie for the age bracket that started playing this game's roots, Warcraft first started back in 94 before most of the WoW's players were even born, (well not most but seriously there's way too many 12 year olds on line.) Find a better director and this could be glorius.