Warcraft Movie To Be Directed By Sam Raimi

[The_Dude 1,142]

I like the games, but i'm a bit skeptical about a movie. At least they are getting a good director and are putting a decent budget behind the film.

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LOS ANGELES — Legendary Pictures, which joined Warner Brothers in backing “The Dark Knight” and “300,” took a big step toward assembling what may be its next blockbuster franchise: the company said on Tuesday that Sam Raimi had agreed to direct a movie based on the World of Warcraft online game and fantasy universe.

Mr. Raimi directed three films in Sony’s “Spider-Man” series and is expected to start shooting a fourth this fall, set for release in 2011. His signing with “World of Warcraft” makes that film one of the strongest bets on the Warner schedule as early as 2012.

Blizzard Entertainment, which introduced its first Warcraft game in 1994, began developing the current film version with Legendary three years ago. With more than 11 million monthly subscribers, the Warcraft series has been widely described as the most heavily played of the multiplayer online games, which pit players against one another via the Internet.

Warner, which is expected to be a co-financer of the “Warcraft” movie and to distribute it, has been hungry for new film series to augment a roster of high-budget fantasy and action franchises that include the Batman, Superman and Harry Potter films. The studio flirted with, then pulled back from, a “Justice League of America” project that would have put some of its DC Comics-based heroes, including Batman and Superman, in a single film.

And it had a misfire this year with “Watchmen,” an expensive picture based on a graphic novel, of which Legendary was co-financer. That film underperformed at the box office and was not seen as a good candidate for sequels because ardent fans were so insistent on fidelity to the complex, underlying story, about the decline of masked crime fighters.

It was not immediately clear when production might start on the “Warcraft” film, which would be delayed until Mr. Raimi finishes with “Spider-Man 4.” He last directed “Drag Me to Hell,” a supernatural horror picture that was not intended as a broad crowd pleaser and took in only about $42 million at the domestic box office when it was released by Universal Pictures in May.

Charles Roven, a producer of “The Dark Knight,” is among the producers of the “Warcraft” film, Legendary said.

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[DeadPoolX 9]

THIS will be the basis behind the movie.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well there was that "In the Name of the King" movie. Worth seeing for the "eccentric" casting, if nothing else.

[The_Dude 1,142]

[Welshcookie 17]

It will be interesting to see if they finally get this movie into production, there has been much talk for years....glad to hear that Blizzard still isn't letting Uwe Boll anywhere near it though