[Gothos]

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.

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. Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing for Legendary along with Blizzard and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Alex Gartner. Warcraft is expected to have a budget north of $100 million.

Here's the link: http://www.hollywood...rce-code-416956

I'll say I was skeptical, but the director of Moon? Oh man. This could be pretty awesome in the end. What do you think?

[Aptorian]

Interesting.

I wonder what the story will be?

Are they starting from the beginning with the Dark Portal and the Orc invasion? Or later on with the coming of the Scourge during WC3? Maybe they'll simply pick a story from the WOW universe that is perhaps better suited to the target demograpic?

Is it a one of thing or will it be a trilogy or longer series of films?

I could see them beginning with invasion and combining it with the story arc of Prince Arthas corruption.

[End of Disc One]

Director is David Bowie's son btw, AKA Zowie Bowie. I'm not into Warcraft and learned about this through Bowie's facebook page.

This post has been edited by End of Disc One: 31 January 2013 - 01:36 PM

[Defiance]

The fact that this is live action makes it really unappealing. I don't know why Blizzard didn't simply go the CG route. It probably would have cost more, but I just can't see live action being a good thing when it comes to WoW.

I hope their writer is good. The Warcraft universe has a lot of lore, but it's storylines are generally shit with a few exceptions. I'll probably get dragged to this by the lady since she's a WoW-addict, but given the long history of this movie trying to get off the ground (I think I first heard about it 6 or 7 eyars ago), coupled with the fact that it's not utilizing one of Blizzard's greatest strengths - their CG - I'm not too optimistic about it.

[polishgenius]

Aptorius, on 31 January 2013 - 12:39 PM, said:

Is it a one of thing or will it be a trilogy or longer series of films?

It'll almost certainly be filmed as a standalone but with hooks for a sequel if it makes enough money... there's very little more embarrassing to a major studio than putting the hype on for a major series and then that falling apart (John Carter, His Dark Materials...), and this is a high-risk project. Especially since, in aiming at a 2015 release, it's going to be competing with two bankers in Avengers 2 and Episode VII, not to mention the possibility of a JLA film.

Jones is a quality director though. It's an interesting shout because none of his work so far has been even slightly Warcraft-y...

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 31 January 2013 - 05:34 PM, said:

Aptorius, on 31 January 2013 - 12:39 PM, said:

Is it a one of thing or will it be a trilogy or longer series of films?

It'll almost certainly be filmed as a standalone but with hooks for a sequel if it makes enough money... there's very little more embarrassing to a major studio than putting the hype on for a major series and then that falling apart (John Carter, His Dark Materials...), and this is a high-risk project. Especially since, in aiming at a 2015 release, it's going to be competing with two bankers in Avengers 2 and Episode VII, not to mention the possibility of a JLA film.

The bolded films are actually REALLY quality film outings that were supremely poorly marketed and released. THE GOLDEN COMPASS especially was SO good (filled with a stellar cast)...but was marketed TERRIBLY.

I maintain that had they been able to do both THE SUBTLE KNIFE and THE AMBER SPYGLASS the series would have rivaled HARRY POTTER.

[polishgenius]

The Golden Compass was particularly badly managed because it was actually a big box-office success - 300 million international box office- only not in America and New Line sold the international rights for a relatively small lump sum.

[A Demon Llama!]

With Moon being near the top of my favorite movies list, I'm kinda dissapointed that he's doing this. I was hoping for another kick ass science fiction movie. How good can a game to movie adaptation be? Was there even one that turned out successful? Do we really need more orcs and shit?

[polishgenius]

There's absolutely no reason why a game-to-film adap can't be good, it's just they've not really been taken seriously by the industry.

100mil and Duncan Jones suggests that this one is being. A lot will depend on the writing though, obviously.

[Macros]

I'd prefer a Warhammer old world movie by a long shot.

[Sindriss]

With you on that one Macros. And 40k would be fucking epic if you sunk enough money into it to realistic render the factions and the scale of combat.

[worry]

He should make it violence-free.

[Primateus]

Macros, on 31 January 2013 - 09:40 PM, said:

I'd prefer a Warhammer old world movie by a long shot.

This...

Sindriss, on 31 January 2013 - 10:54 PM, said:

With you on that one Macros. And 40k would be fucking epic if you sunk enough money into it to realistic render the factions and the scale of combat.

And this.

[blackzoid]

Primateus, on 01 February 2013 - 07:45 AM, said:

Macros, on 31 January 2013 - 09:40 PM, said:

I'd prefer a Warhammer old world movie by a long shot.

This...

Sindriss, on 31 January 2013 - 10:54 PM, said:

With you on that one Macros. And 40k would be fucking epic if you sunk enough money into it to realistic render the factions and the scale of combat.

And this.

Aye, a Warhammer old world movie with an emphasis on their awesome Vampires would be fantastic. Best vampire concepts I've read.
A film based on Cl Werner's Red Duke would tickle me nicely.

That said
There has been a Warhammer 40K movie made. http://en.wikipedia....er_40,000_Movie
Twas ok. In the grim, dark future of the 41st millennium there was a lot of walking between indescript locales where isolated skirmish's happen. Though a nice ending/twist/climax I thought.

This post has been edited by blackzoid: 01 February 2013 - 10:52 AM

[Macros]

Tbh I was massively disappointed by the 40k movie. When you see how awesome the DoW intro is, the movie looks incredibly shit, especially the motion of characters. Looked like a poor capture from a video game, people moving at a set speed that their leg movements nowhere near matched made it look tacky.

back on topic, so long as the warcraft film is better than the crapfests that were dungeons and dragons and in the name of the king I'll probably watch it.

[Obdigore]

Ultramarines are the worst Marines.

[Gothos]

Well, Warcraft has long stopped being just a computer game franchise, there's so many books and comics out there for it I can't even name them all (also because I don't care about them at all). I think the movie has a big chance. Decent budget and a director that has proven himself twice before? Come on. Of course it won't be as good as a Warhammer movie would be, but it's the same for LotR and MBotF, but we still love LotR movies, right? Besides, Blizzard never goes half-assed about something.

A rumour going around is that the studio wants Johnny Depp in it, but the studio wants Johnny Depp in everything. Wouldn't fit anyway, I think.


side question, anyone still playing WoW? might be I finally don't miss the game at all

[Kanubis]

QuickTidal, on 31 January 2013 - 07:05 PM, said:

I maintain that had they been able to do both THE SUBTLE KNIFE and THE AMBER SPYGLASS the series would have rivaled HARRY POTTER.

The first film didn't exactly make it easy for a sequel to happen did it? Ending it just before the lad gets butchered by Lyra's dad (can't remember the names now!) so that the sequel would have to open with child murder. On top of the problem of the two boy characters being merged in to one. That hole decision process absolutely stinks to hell of 'As long as it works for my film then I don't give a flying fuck about any sequels.'

Also, the first film should have had the balls to test the water by not glossing around the Original Sin symbolism of the dust/daemons, so that the studios could gauge if they in turn would have the balls to screen the far more blatant anti-religion themes of the sequels.

[Silencer]

QuickTidal, on 31 January 2013 - 07:05 PM, said:

polishgenius, on 31 January 2013 - 05:34 PM, said:

Aptorius, on 31 January 2013 - 12:39 PM, said:

Is it a one of thing or will it be a trilogy or longer series of films?

It'll almost certainly be filmed as a standalone but with hooks for a sequel if it makes enough money... there's very little more embarrassing to a major studio than putting the hype on for a major series and then that falling apart (John Carter, His Dark Materials...), and this is a high-risk project. Especially since, in aiming at a 2015 release, it's going to be competing with two bankers in Avengers 2 and Episode VII, not to mention the possibility of a JLA film.

The bolded films are actually REALLY quality film outings that were supremely poorly marketed and released. THE GOLDEN COMPASS especially was SO good (filled with a stellar cast)...but was marketed TERRIBLY.

I maintain that had they been able to do both THE SUBTLE KNIFE and THE AMBER SPYGLASS the series would have rivaled HARRY POTTER.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did we watch the same movie?! Now, I may be biased (it was a long time between reading the books and seeing the film), but the Golden Compass was an atrocious adaptation that should never have existed! Never mind that they screwed up from the outset by calling it "The Golden Compass" (NOT one of "His Dark Materials" - that would be the Northern Lights, and the correct title of the first book), but they essentially turned all the worldbuilding, character development, and plot setup from the first half of the book into a fifty-minute nonsensical montage! And the second half was barely any better, with very little in the way of pacing or suspense, and the acting all around (apart from maybe Iorek...yes, the voice acting on the armoured bear was better than any of the human actors) was sub-par at best.

Let's not forget that they took a book FILLED with gritty, mature themes (even if they were moderately below the radar for the most part), and made it purely a kids movie, and THEN they even chose to end it in the wrong place - like ending Lord of the Rings: RotK BEFORE Frodo and Gollum do their thing in Mount Doom! Which completely missed a central plot hook into the sequels, what with Lord Asriel suddenly looking like a major villain, and again stomped all over the notion that the Northern Lights were in any way important to the plot (they were the kid's original motivation to go North in the first place, dammit! Not that we'd really know that considering the butchery of the first half of the plot that took place).



Now, had they done the first film properly, I entirely agree with you - nay, they had the potential to be BETTER. His Dark Materials was an awesome trilogy in so many ways, not least in the way it sorta pretends to be "just for kids" when it is far from that and actually quite deep. But the movie, which I could tell when they called it the Golden Compass, was never up to that standard. And pulling it back on track with the Subtle Knife would basically be impossible at this point. It's not even the same story any more, imo.

blackzoid, on 01 February 2013 - 10:44 AM, said:

Primateus, on 01 February 2013 - 07:45 AM, said:

Macros, on 31 January 2013 - 09:40 PM, said:

I'd prefer a Warhammer old world movie by a long shot.

This...

Sindriss, on 31 January 2013 - 10:54 PM, said:

With you on that one Macros. And 40k would be fucking epic if you sunk enough money into it to realistic render the factions and the scale of combat.

And this.

Aye, a Warhammer old world movie with an emphasis on their awesome Vampires would be fantastic. Best vampire concepts I've read.
A film based on Cl Werner's Red Duke would tickle me nicely.

That said
There has been a Warhammer 40K movie made. http://en.wikipedia....er_40,000_Movie
Twas ok. In the grim, dark future of the 41st millennium there was a lot of walking between indescript locales where isolated skirmish's happen. Though a nice ending/twist/climax I thought.

The fan-film "Damnatus" was pretty good, imo. No Space Marines, fairly reasonable setup and plot, and well, dat ending...so very W40K. It could have been so much more, but given it was a fan project it did very well.

But yes, a PROPER, not-Ultramarines (preferably not Space Marines at all, actually, except maybe one or two for awesomeness-cavalry-moments or something) W40K movie would be awesome.

[Kanubis]

Silencer, I think that Northern Lights was actually published as The Golden Compass in North America because they didn't think enough Americans would be familiar with the Northern Lights for it to spark interest.