Project Lore

Let's just get the objective of the post out of the way in the first sentence.  Okay, fine, the second.  Crap.  *deep breath* Give the upcoming World of Warcraft movie a chance.

I understand why gamers are pessimistic about video game movies.  After all, our wallets have been hit by the likes of BloodRayne, House of the Dead and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.  Granted, those are all from the same tax-abusing director, but Street Fighter and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li would also like to lend their credibility to the topic.  There are some "gems" though, Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat, to name two.  We're still a ways off from the World of Warcraft picture, and we know very little (a nice recap of what we do know here), but it's certainly shaping up to be a quality piece of entertainment.  Not some schlock, money in the bank scheme.

Here's why:
Sam Raimi - Raimi is the mastermind of the cult Evil Dead series.  Originally, the series was all about horror and suspense, before it restructured itself as a tongue-in-cheek mockery.  In either form, the trilogy is much loved and appreciated.  More recently he's been in charge of the Spider-man franchise, which has tailed off in quality with later entries.  Surely it was a reason for Raimi walking away from Spider-man 4.

Raimi also has Darkman and Drag Me To Hell under his belt, and has even dabbled in fantasy as an executive producer on Hercules and Xena.  The presence of Hercules and Xena in his repertoire is more important than you may realize.  Rumors indicate that the film may be made in New Zealand (where the shows were done) and he's stated that he wants to stick to the content that makes Warcraft so popular, the lore and lands.  Both settings that are familiar to the fantasy-based TV shows.

Robert Rodat:  You've probably never heard of him, I hadn't, but Rodat is responsible for the action behind Saving Private Ryan and The Patriot, and is reportedly in the middle of scripting the Warcraft film.  He should be plenty capable of putting the war in Warcraft.

Legendary Pictures - Legendary burst on to the movie scene with Batman Begins and hasn't really let up since.  Not everything the company has done is good (Superman Returns), but Beerfest, 300, The Dark Knight, Watchmen, The Hangover, Where the Wild Things Are and Ninja Assassin have shown that the company can take original and long-standing ideas and turn them into blockbusters.

Blizzard Entertainment - Blizzard is incredibly possessive of the company's intellectual property, especially the one pulling in $1 billion a year.  Nothing gets released with the company's logo on it without complete an udder agreement by the suits.  That's the very reason that the official WoW magazine has been delayed so much.  Blizzard wouldn't release it until it was spit shine perfect.

If Blizzard allows Activision to do a game based upon the movie, see Street Fighter: The Movie (the game), then it's time to worry.

Of course, don't get yourself over-hyped about the movie either.  It's a long way off and, again, this is a Blizzard Entertainment project.  It'll be out "soon."

Blizzard announced today that Sam Raimi, perhaps best known for directing the Spiderman movies, has joined on to direct "Warcraft," the live-action World of Warcraft movie adaptation. This is the biggest news about the movie in the last two years. I, for one, am glad to hear that Uwe Boll won't be on board to ruin the movie. This doesn't mean the movie will be great (See Spiderman 3), it's just a solid step in the right direction. Hopefully we get some more information about the movie at Comic-Con or BlizzCon! Check out the full press release here:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – July 22, 2009 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and Legendary Pictures announced today that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct the eagerly-anticipated major motion picture based on Blizzard Entertainment®’s award-winning Warcraft® universe. Raimi has, in the course of his career, clearly demonstrated a genius for developing and adapting existing fictional universes for mainstream audiences while staying true to the spirit of the original content. Raimi directed the Spider-Man trilogy, which has broken box-office records around the world and garnered five Academy Award® nominations. Known for his imaginative filmmaking style, richly drawn characters and offbeat humor, Raimi wrote and directed the cult classic, The Evil Dead and produced 30 Days Of Night. He most recently wrote and directed the supernatural thriller, Drag Me To Hell. "At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story," said Raimi. "I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen." Charles Roven’s producing talents were recently seen with last summer’s blockbuster The Dark Knight, which grossed in excess of $1 billion, was nominated for eight Academy Awards® and won two. His body of work also includes the widely acclaimed Batman Begins and the sci-fi classic 12 Monkeys. Roven, with Atlas producing partner Alex Gartner, will be producing with Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull, Legendary’s Chief Creative Officer Jon Jashni, Raimi and Raimi’s producing partner Joshua Donen. Raimi’s partner, Robert Tapert, will be an Executive Producer and Blizzard Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of Creative Development, Chris Metzen, a Co-Producer. "Partnering with Sam Raimi exemplifies Legendary's mandate of marrying the highest quality intellectual property to world-class filmmakers" said Legendary’s Tull. "Sam's passion for 'Warcraft' is undeniable and we know that he will create an incredible film worthy of Blizzard's phenomenal franchise. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Warner Bros. and continuing our successful relationship with Chuck in bringing this rich new world to the screen." "Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have a shared vision for this film and we searched at length to find the very best director to bring that vision to life," said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. "From our first conversation with Sam, we could tell he was the perfect choice. Sam knows how to simultaneously satisfy the enthusiasts and the mainstream audience that might be experiencing that content for the first time. We're looking forward to working with him to achieve that here." "Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft has become a second home for millions of players and Sam’s experience and talent make him the perfect director for this remarkable and action-packed world," said Atlas’ Roven. "Alex and I are proud to be working with Sam and re-teaming with our friends at Legendary and Warner Bros." The film will fall under Legendary Pictures’ co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. "Warcraft is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which our studio is best known. We have enjoyed great success with our partners at Legendary, and this is an incredible opportunity for us to work with Sam on a project that is so eagerly anticipated by so many," said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft universe is a rich fantasy setting that revolves around the epic conflict between the opposing forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Since its debut in 1994, Warcraft has developed a loyal following across the globe, with several bestselling, award-winning PC games and a range of popular licensed products including novels, action figures, apparel, comic books, board games, and more. World of Warcraft®, Blizzard Entertainment’s subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe, is the most popular game of its kind in the world. Its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King™, is the fastest-selling PC game of all time, with more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and more than 4 million in its first month. Further details about the upcoming Warcraft movie, including cast and targeted release date, will be revealed as development progresses.

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