'Warcraft' movie lands 'friendly, neighborhood' director

Will Arthas make an appearance in the "Warcraft" movie? Probably not the first one...

(Credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Last Friday, as I sat through the lame movie trailers before the latest "Harry Potter" movie, I was saddened to realize there are only a few films in development that I'm anticipating with extreme amounts of fanboy excitement.

As I watched multiple trailers for movies I had absolutely no interest in--like the latest "Twilight" movie--and heard the sold-out crowd lose their freakin' minds for each movie previewed, I felt that other than the upcoming "Hobbit" films, there was really no movie trailer I was prepared to embarrass myself over with an unbridled geekout in front of hundreds of people.

Today, I was reminded of one more reason to stay alive for the next few years.

On Wednesday, Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures announced that Sam Raimi has been tapped as the director of the forthcoming "Warcraft" movie.

Raimi, who previously directed all three "Spiderman" movies, as well as the "Evil Dead" movies, is a huge catch. He's also a director who's shown he can take a well-established property and make an incredibly successful movie based on it.

That in itself doesn't guarantee a good movie, but listening to the guys from Blizzard and Legendary Pictures talk about their movie plans two years ago--via the video below--it seems they have the right team in place to really do this right. Let's hope so at least.

No release date for the movie has been announced, but I wouldn't expect it before 2011. Lets just hope we get a trailer next year because I can feel my obsession coming on and it will need to be satiated...soon.

[Albondigas111]

I think Raimi is going to do a great job with the film. I just hope Blizzard doesn't hold up the production for years like it does with its games.

Isn't there a feature documentary about WOW players coming out this summer? www.secondskinfilm.com Do you think it will be any good?

[edWAR6]

****! ****! The WARCRAFT Movie!! :D

[XiroMisho]

Thank God Rami was picked for this - Only Rami can do the series justice... Though the thing is, this isn't a "World Of Warcraft" movie, but just "Warcraft" Contrary to popular believe, there were 3 other games out prior to the MMORPG we all know and love =P

My only question is if he will start off with just humans or are we going to be introduced to the entire set of Alliance/Horde factions in the first movie...? I'd assume at least the Dranei and Blood Elves could be missing... who knows, lets watch! =D

[hockeymass]

It would be a pretty garbage Warcraft movie with just humans... I'd say at a minimum the orcs will feature prominently, probably dwarves and trolls as well.

[efranklin]

According to the panel, the first film at least will focus on the Alliance side of things, centering on a character very much like Varian Wrynn, the King of Stormwind, but supposedly not actually that character. It'll feature the conflict between the Alliance and Horde and the Horde sounds like they'll definitely have a big part in the film as in the panel they describe it very much as a "war" film.

They just figure that newb audiences could much more easily digest a live-action movie focusing on familiar territory (humans, elves, dwarves given how popular LOTR is) than orcs, trolls, and cows.

Who know though? Maybe Raimi has different ideas.

[elambert09]

I liked the first Spider-Man, the 2nd was ok, but I was really looking forward to seeing Venom come to the big screen. I feel that Spider-Man 3 was the worst of them. Venom was not a costume that Peter could take off and put in a box in his closet he was a Symbiote that needed a host. I hope he does better with Warcraft that he did with Spider-Man a lot better!

[hockeymass]

Spiderman 3 had a lot of stupid stuff in it. The piano bar scene was probably the dumbest scene I've ever seen in any wide-release movie. Hopefully Raimi can do the series justice, would have liked to see Peter Jackson at the helm but he's got his own things going on...can't wait for this, I've been pumped since they first announced it!

[XiroMisho]

at first spidy could remove the black suit... but soon he didn't want too - in the movie he was unable to when he felt the suit was controlling him, and the bell tower scene was done very well in my opinion Though the ending was a disappointment, as I am a venom fan.

[Seaspray0]

Eric Franklin, you didn't say which version of warcraft they are going to base it on. I would assume WOW. Lets face it, if it was warcraft 2, the script would be mostly, "yes, me lord".

[generilisk]

You say that like it's a bad thing.
But seriously, Warcraft 2 DID have some plot. It just didn't figure as prominently as WC3 or WoW.

[J-Hawaii]

I sure hope for the classic Warcraft series, and not the user-driven, convoluted mess we call WoW.

Warcraft wasn't known for the plot line, but if this is going to be a "war movie," I think the basic premise of Warcraft II and Beyond the Dark Portal (the expansion for you deprived) could make for an entertaining good vs. evil, Alliance vs. the Horde, etc. flick. Maybe throw in a "yes, milord," "zug-zug," or "I'd rather be sailing" in the dialog for kicks.

I always thought that the could do a lot with that basis and run with it. If not, I'll always have my 1990s classic in-game movies...

[Ordonator]

Perhaps in keeping with the traditions of Blizzard, they can make a big announcement in 2011 setting no release date. Perhaps by 2014 they'll be advertising for the holidays, and then finally in 2016 we'll have the movie.

And then to keep in the tradition of Hollywood these days, they could end it with a cliffhanger, and we could start all over again.