World of Warcraft Movie Update: Director Signed and Projected 2015 Release

Live Posted 2013/01/30 at 7:13 PM by perculia

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We are pleased to announce that Duncan Jones, director of critically-acclaimed films Source Code and Moon, has signed on with Legendary Pictures to direct the upcoming live-action film based on the Warcraft universe. Click here for more info.

Borys.Kit

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 around $1 million to make. He followed that up with Source Code, Summit’s 2011 time travel thriller that starred Jake Gyllenhaal and cost around $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.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com
Twitter: @Borys_Kit

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Comment by vivisectingplease be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be goodComment by CreativeXtentAwesome!

Make sure to make a Diablo 3 movie as well!Comment by AdamsmUgh, already feeling the crap coming...oh well, at least it ain't Sam Raimi anymore.Comment by sercankdDid you just said 100 million $ budget?Comment by 29078lol that's exactly what I'm thinkingComment by 627828This post was from a user who has deleted their account.Comment by ElladarynHell
Are
YeahComment by 1074821Remember the Sam Raimi was also announced to go forward and eventually fell through. I will believe when i see it in the multiplexes around the world.Comment by 945343nice!Comment by ViohardLive action? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!Comment by AeonquasaRLIVE ACTION ! oh no! oh god no! no, no,no please no!Comment by RankkorVideogame movies have ALWAYS sucked.

There is the small chance this one could break the streak, but I'll only believe it when I see it. Till then, I'm not very optimistic about its success, or its quality.

Best to assume its gonna suck, and be blown away if it doesn't, than to overhype this thing to hell, and be disappointed when it most likely ends being a piece of crap like every other video-game movie has ever been.Comment by GreyGoombaThe best case scenario is that we get a movie we can enjoy. The worst case scenario is we get a movie we can just forget about and it doesn't have to mean anything.

Really, this is better news than the movie not happening at all. How long have they been trying to get it going? I'm happy to read this, today.Comment by LucreciaeAnd so the giant-cash-cow in the making further progresses..

Bottom line is; even if it sucks, it will still be a smash hit. Why? Because its WoW HURRDURRRR!Comment by 749141"the film is tentatively planned to be released in 2015." knowing blizz that means its not going to come out till 2020Comment by TardorasqueI think going over the Warcraft II story line would be really epic, I really hope they implement their amazing CG into this, otherwise It will probably look mediocre when compared to the blizzard cinematics.Comment by NulgarWith hoverboards and the Warcraft movie, 2015 is more and more promising.Comment by InterestSweet. I was hoping for some news on this soon.

I was not disappointed.Comment by Roull15Oh my god at long last a movie bout this legendary MMO is gonna be created the only problem is the lore around this game which is huge. As a first guess i think its gonna be a trilogy of 2 hours min each part.

Good luck indeedComment by AnimosaMany stated before, but i also think that live action in case of warcraft is unneccesary. Don't get me wrong, the cg can't misplace the actor's play, but we already got animated charcters, for me it would feel odd (like a live action FF-AC VII).

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