Here Are 10 Things You Should Know About The Upcoming Warcraft Movie:
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An older movie poster
2016 marks the year that Blizzard will release their first live action movie. Warcraft the movie is a project that has been in the works for many years. There have been lots of changes on the staff and casting, but now the movie is finally in post-production.
There has been lots of poor game to movie adaptations… Mortal Kombat is just one of many examples, but Warcraft is really looking to be a blockbuster hit. Here are 10 things you might not have known about the upcoming movie.
10. The director is Duncan Jones
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A very happy Jones
Warcraft the movie has undergone several directing changes during its 9 year development, but Blizzard finally stuck with Duncan Jones. This proves that the movie won’t be just some backwater trash show since Jones is already an acclaimed director with several big titles under his belt.
Duncan Jones directed and wrote Moon (2009), Whistle (2002), and Source Code (2011). He has won several awards from the British Independent Film Awards, the Chicago Film Critics Association, as well as the BAFTA awards.
9. The Move will portray the first meeting of Humans and Orcs
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Warcraft: Orcs vs Humans
The movie’s premise will be based on the very first Warcraft game: Orcs vs Humans. It tells the story of how the Orcish Horde first invaded the land of Azeroth, and how the Human Kingdoms united under one banner led by Anduin Lothar to repel the invasion.
Since the story is being told on screen, don’t expect a play by play replica of the Warcraft story as it is told in the game. It is likely that there will be many variations from the original plot.
8. Travis Fimmel will play Anduin Lothar
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Travis Fimmel will make an excellent Lothar!
All that can be said about the Warcraft actors is that it is an all-star cast! Travis Fimmel is one of the biggest names in the movie, and he plays the role of Anduin Lothar. Lothar is the human leader and zealous defender of his people. This fits Travis Fimmel perfectly as we have already seen him in a similar role when he played Ragnar in the History channels Vikings series.
Other big names include Ben Foster, Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbel, and Rob Kazinsky.
7. Post-production status with a June 10, 2016 release date
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Blizzard's cinematics have been fantastic, hopefully the movie delivers as well
Many faithful fans have waited almost a decade since the movie was announced in 2006. The movie is finally in post-production status and we can expect a June release of next year. That places the release almost exactly 10 years after announcement. It is very common for Blizzard to have such long development times, but we can at least expect a strong product to come out of it.
The long wait has been due to contract issues, directing changes, staff disagreements, script revisions, and much much more.
6. Leeroy Jenkins was a part of the original script
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An excerpt from the original script with Leeroy Jenkins in it
The script writer Gary Whitta showed off a portion of his original draft of the movie scrip which contained a very famous WoW icon. Leeroy Jenkins, or Private Jenkins, was supposed to be a part of the movie but was scrapped during revisions.
Jenkins is famous for entering the dragon roost too early in a WoW dungeon back in 2005. The movie character was supposed to be an allusion to this viral character, and yes, he did run into battle to early.
5. The movie will be intense and bloody
It has been made known time and time again that this movie will not be suited for young children. The game is violent in nature and the movie will be too. There will be violent and gritty war, there will be bloody fights, and there will be adult themes.
The film developers made it clear that they are creating a gritty re-creation of the Orcs vs Humans storyline. It is not a brightly colored happy variation. Think of Gladiator with Russell Crowe as a good example of what to expect.
4. Night Elves are rumored to be present
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Will we see Night Elves in the movie?
Although the main races that will clash in the movie are obviously humans and orcs, other races have been rumored to make an appearance. It is likely that we will see dwarves and trolls since it fits the story very well. Night Elves have however, been rumored to be a part of the movie which is a surprise since they were holed up in Kalimdor until the events of Warcraft III happened. It will be interesting to see how they are incorporated.
3. The main perspective will be from the Alliance side
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The modern Alliance as we know it today
While both sides will have their story told in part, the main focal point of the movie will be on the Alliance. The story will center on Anduin Lothar and his attempts to save human kind. This makes sense from a marketing perspective as well. More people are likely to enjoy the movie better if it is about human survival and sacrifice, not the bloodthirsty invasion of an alien race.
Still though, this is a sore spot for many Horde mains. Keep in mind that the Horde depicted in the movie is not the Horde we know today as led by Vol’jin.
2. Duncan Jones released a picture of Doomhammer
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The first image released of Orgim Doomhammer
Just very recently Jones released a couple of pictures of Orgim Doomhammer. The images depict a gritty and realistic looking Orc. It is a combination of both make up, effects, and CGI. The images have gone viral in the WoW community and are living up to the expectation of what fans want. This is hopefully the opening of the floodgates that will give us more content regarding the movie.
1. The Warcraft movie will overshadow all other game movies
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While other games have been interpreted on the big screen, not many of them have succeeded. More success has been had in cases like Pokemon when an animated adaptation has been created. A live action film is a big and risky move by Blizzard.
However, Blizzard is known for its high quality work, and it is highly unlikely that they will allow something to be released if it is not up to the highest quality. Another important factor to consider is the extent of the Warcraft universe’s lore. It has an amazing story that you could lose yourself in for a very long time.
The amazing story coupled with the huge fan base and resources available for Blizzard makes for a great movie recipe. Now we just have to see if they will deliver.
There is still not a lot of content released unfortunately. Let us know in the comments below what you are hoping to see in the Warcraft movie.
