Rumorbuster: David Wenham might play Arthas
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 5th 2009 at 2:00PM
There's a rumor going around that Australian actor David Wenham (who you'll probably know as Faramir in Lord of the Rings, though he was also in 300 and Van Helsing) is supposed to play Arthas in the upcoming Sam Raimi-directed Warcraft movie -- but not so fast. The whole thing appears to stem from a listing over on the Internet Movie Database's listing for Warcraft (which, by the way, seems to have a working title -- a few days ago, it was just called "Untitled Sam Raimi Project"), where Wenham's name was inserted as rumored to play Arthas. That in and of itself means nothing at all -- the IMDb can be updated and edited by almost anyone that comes to the site, and while it could be that Wenham's agent is trying to get his name out there for a certain part, it's just as likely that some overzealous Lord of the Rings fan is trying to do some casting of their own. Wenham's name under there as "rumored" has about as much validity as a mention on Wikipedia: not much.Oh, and there's one more issue -- as discussed in this forum post, Arthas himself probably won't even be in the Warcraft movie, if what Blizzard told us at BlizzCon a little while back is to be believed. Back at the BlizzCon 2007 movie panel, we were told by the panel (including Chris Metzen) that the movie is supposed to start a year before WoW begins, which means Arthas is sitting up in Icecrown doing a whole lot of nothing. When fans specifically asked about Arthas, we were told that while the movie would certainly reference him, it likely wouldn't focus on him at all. So while Wenham (or his fans) may be angling for the part of Arthas, even if he got it, he probably wouldn't get much screen time anyway.
Of course, that's assuming that what we were told two years ago still holds. Gary Whitta, who worked on a screenplay for the film, says that Sam Raimi has his own ideas about the movie, so, as BlizzPlanet points out, maybe he wants Arthas front and center. But for now, the David Wenham rumor is still just a made-up rumor, and a really thin one at that.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Rumors
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
RuzGofDI Aug 5th 2009 2:07PM
I don't know about as Arthas, but I wouldn't be disappointed if he had some role in the film.
Lab Monkey Aug 5th 2009 2:51PM
And to be accurate they've done nothing to "bust" the rumour of his involvement in this. Pure speculation all around.
Johan Forn Aug 5th 2009 3:56PM
@ impurezero Aug 5th 2009 3:21PM
Let me start by apologizing for my response..
I never said the representation of black cultures are plenty. That would be nothing more than an opinion (a weird one). I simply restricted my posts to stating that real-life racial groups and cultures are represented among ALL Warcraft races, not just in-game humans.
@ Netherscourge Aug 5th 2009 3:16PM
Never did I say they shouldn't. I simply explained how the Warcraft universe is built around the fact that every race represents a certain civilization or culture. In the case of Warcraft they chose humans as Medieval Europeans. Other civilizations and cultures are reflected in other in-game races.
jbodar Aug 5th 2009 6:16PM
Next on FOX, "Craziest Reply Button Mishaps!", followed by an all-new "When Noobs Attack!"
impurezero Aug 5th 2009 6:54PM
Oh jbodar....you deserve a fourth star for that comment. :)
swampsquatch Aug 5th 2009 2:10PM
Never saw Lord of the Rings but I think I recognize him from 300. From the picture above though, he looks like he would make a pretty good Arthas.
mtsadowski Aug 5th 2009 3:14PM
He's a great actor! I'd love for him to play a role more suited for a hero. He'd make a great Bolvar Fordragon.
McRaider Aug 5th 2009 7:50PM
Nah, I think he's just the right man for arthas. Fordragon dude has to have a stronger chin and look... you know... stronger. He has way too pretty face for it or something.
Megamoo Aug 5th 2009 2:10PM
I'd like to see the guy from True Blood who plays Eric Northman - Alexander Skarsgard as arthas, he does a pretty good facsimile on the show. He even plays normal pretty well - he did a great job on Generation Kill as a marine.
Fauche Aug 5th 2009 2:26PM
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5118/normal663394tb107pg0597.jpg
Holy crap, I could see him as it. He's young enough, he's got the looks... Listening to some intereviews, it's possible he could do the voice right with some work. I approve.
Scott Aug 5th 2009 2:36PM
This a damn good idea. I didn't even think of that until now, but he has very similar features to the Arthas in the WC3 cinematic.
Navigator_Black Aug 5th 2009 2:20PM
I'm not up on the lore timelines, but I'm a bit confused by your comments, Mike.
You said "we were told by the panel (including Chris Metzen) that the movie is supposed to start a year before WoW begins, which means Arthas is sitting up in Icecrown doing a whole lot of nothing." But Arthas had a career before moving to Icecrown, including that little regicide/patricide kerfuffle. So even if the movie does still occur in that "one year before WoW", Arthas is still very much in the picture, just not as the Lich King, but rather as an heir to the (warm and comfy, not frozen) throne.
But I tend to agree that what Raimi wants to do is different from what Blizz were contemplating two years ago. He could very well think the story of Arthas and his fall and subsequent transformation into the Lich King and his efforts there with the scourge would make for a great movie, and he'd be right.
Sam Raimi + hordes of undead Scourge under the leadership of a tragic, fallen, magically transformed and possessed being=very likely I'd say.
trig Aug 5th 2009 2:29PM
im no lore nerd either, but if i remember correctly.....
the year before WoW, Arthas should be in his frozen throne (via the end of WC3) battling Ner'zhul and Matthias Lehner inside his mind while the Scourge build the Icecrown Citadel around him.
Netherscourge Aug 5th 2009 2:20PM
Will there ever be a major BLACK character in World of Warcraft?
Sick of seeing Caucasians having all the fun in Fantasy games/movies/books...
Restobot Aug 5th 2009 2:29PM
Why the hell would there be a black fantasy character? All this lore is based on stylized medeval Europe. Sorry but your affirmative action does not apply to our stylized history. All of the ideas and myths contained are European in origin. Nobody wants to insert another race to make you happy...
037 Aug 5th 2009 2:29PM
You got Darth Vader. Isn't that enough?
Betrys Aug 5th 2009 2:37PM
Dunno, I could see black actors being cast in Orc or Troll roles. But as someone said, the Fantasy genre is all about a pseudo-Medeval European setting, so most of your human heroes are going to be of pseudo-European descent.
Johan Forn Aug 5th 2009 2:43PM
@ Netherscourge
You truly are an idiot. Human racial groups and cultures are represented among all Warcraft races. Take for instance the Tauren, which are based on the Indians, the trolls who are represented as a South American Maya/Inca civilization, humans as medieval Europeans, dwarves as Scottish/Irish(?), etc..
Yet, for some reason people like you ignore that and apparently think only the in-game human characters are fit as real-life representation.
impurezero Aug 5th 2009 2:47PM
Bravo! Good reasoning people!
Oh wait...there weren't any dragons, trolls, orcs, walking undead, blue aliens, portals to other worlds, flying machines, vehicular combat, rocket launchers, magic or many other WoW things in the "real" medieval times either. I guess there are some (read: a ton of) things that are ok to insert into a fictional story despite their non-relevance to actual history, but God forbid we see an important black character?
I know you guys aren't intending to sound or be racist here, but that's kind of how it's coming across.
Kenad Aug 5th 2009 2:52PM
Garrosh is Brown.... does that count?