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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsRumor: Sam Raimi's next project is the Warcraft movie
by Adam Holisky 
Jan 12th 2010 at 11:30AM
If AICN's sources are correct and Raimi is going to be working on the Warcraft movie next, this is great news for the movie. While it is probably still a few years away from release, the fact that he's focusing on it now is a good indication the project is moving forward in the right direction.
AICN points out that with the success of Avatar the time is ripe for creating immersive virtual worlds, and you'd be hard pressed to find a more immersive world than Warcraft. Although lets all hope that the Warcraft movie doesn't become a cheap rip off of Avatar -- but with Raimi at the helm it's likely in safe hands.
Filed under: Rumors
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 6)
deluded spider Jan 12th 2010 1:34PM
I really hate the Alliance bent of WoW. I guess I understand, if we're talking Warcraft 3, etc, that the Horde = bad, but in actual WoW, the Horde are not necessarily BAD, but rather "not the Alliance." They're different. And yes, sometimes, the Alliance is racist. (I cringe at the crap Wrynn says during the Battle for Undercity. Ye gods, that's some racism.
I guess all I'm getting at is while I like the Alliance in theory, in practice, I can't seem to easily level characters on Alliance-side because it's just not as interesting. There aren't as many colorful characters, or shades of grey. It's just a simplistic, "The Alliance are heroes and we do everything right" black-and-white point of view.
So a movie from the Alliance's point of view doesn't sound very interesting to me, and doesn't seem like it'll set the movie apart from any other fantasy movie ever made. Seriously.
I don't need a Horde movie... That'd be awesome but I know they'd never do it. What I would like is a movie that is shows the points of view of both the Alliance AND the Horde. I know it's WoW, but you can make things slightly more complex than a LotR rip-off without alienating an audience.
i.read.your Jan 12th 2010 2:00PM
Um, the Alliance is atrociously full of gray, Dear Sir. "Kill the Defias! They're murdering bandits" - "But sir... they just wanted the money they were due for building us this lovely Stormwind." - "KEEL THEM!"
And many more such "Oh wait, so the Alliance ISN'T good?" moments, like the internment camps, Thralls imprisonment, um...
Sky Jan 12th 2010 6:26PM
no shades of gray and all alliance are heroes and do-gooders?
2 words: VARIAN WRYNN
you said it yourself hes a racist and he wouldnt hesitate one moment to kill orc children. Is that heroism?
CorlandoShadowsong Jan 12th 2010 1:30PM
AT last a few ppl who understand! AVATAR is STARCRAFT, marines in those machines that walk about VS WoW Outland, nagrand terrokar zangarmarsh oh my!
supersaint Jan 12th 2010 1:51PM
Something tells me the Drainei and Blood Elves won't be making it into the first movie.
Ross Jan 12th 2010 1:53PM
I hope they cast Bruce Campbell as Wrynn i think that he would make a great Wrynn!!!
Valis Jan 12th 2010 2:07PM
Bruce Campbell better be in the movie at some point. @_@
divorce Jan 12th 2010 2:08PM
can't wait to see gnomes as comic relief
Tommy Jan 12th 2010 3:46PM
I hope they pay homage to my favorite pastime in Azeroth - Gnome Punting.
FifthDream Jan 12th 2010 2:08PM
As long as the movie isn't ABOUT people playing Warcaft or WoW. Please no "A group of 12 year olds find out how to transport themselves into the virtual World of Warcraft!" :\
And now that i said it, i'm really frightened that this could be the movie. ;_;
netsynet Jan 12th 2010 2:23PM
Topher Grace will be cast as Deathwing.
Griffe Jan 12th 2010 2:36PM
Yay Sam Raimi! If only he could find a way to work in some zany, ACME-style gypsy shenanagins in this one too. (Looking at you, Drag me to Hell anvil scene)
Shammïe Jan 12th 2010 3:49PM
You know, after seeing Avatar in 3d for the 8th time today....
I'd say gratz to all involved if the movie is a "cheap ripoff of Avatar"
I mean, do you *really* expect a movie to meet the standards Avatar has set for the visual and audio experience and the way it ties the simple, yet deep storyline together?
WoW Lore is very much a retelling or "cheap rip off" if you will, of so many different themes and stories from from the history of man that I think the idea that "art imitates art imitates life" is very appropriate.
Like many, many great stories of our past, there will never be another Avatar, and to expect the WoW movie to be the "game-changing" film that Avatar is, so kudos if they even get close.....
Hell, I'd be happy as long as its not another Eragon or Dungeons and Dragons.
Odonthe1st Jan 13th 2010 12:05PM
On the subject of a movie:
I don't want to see a live action WoW movie with a compromise between actors that look the part and actors that can actually act. Humans with impressive bone structure can't act. Do I have to mention Dolph Lundgren? And the second they stick a know actor in the movie the audience will get pulled right out of the world (every time he's/she/they're on screen, over and over...) (Practical reason: let them try to make WoW-style shoulder armor that doesn't kill the actors the 1st time they raise their arms!) The live action movie would be so full of CG and effects that they might as well just do the whole thing CG and not have to worry about integrating the 2. If they don't go for absolute realism and then come up against the "uncanny valley" then it will all work much better as full CG. And actually normal humans make up such a small part of WoW they wouldn't even have that problem that much. I'm sure the main character will be human but most everything and everyone he interacts with will not.
The thing with CG at our current level of skill and technology is if a movie is fully CG then the viewer looks at it for 1 minute and gets lost in the world, never coming out until the end. Suspension of disbelief is easy. For a live action fantasy movie it's always hard to suspend your disbelief even for a geek like me and even with few effects that call attention to themselves. In a mixed live-action/CG movie, one scene that doesn't look right and the viewer's out of the movie and on guard looking for the next CG element he can spot. He'll get back into the movie eventually but it'll very likely happen again with our level of CG skill. Even Avatar looked a little wonky sometimes (one thing I can think of now-- I think they forced the atmospheric perspective too much sometimes and it separated the foreground from the background too much). As much as I liked Avatar I was looking for CG and finding things I didn't like.
I'd rather the whole thing was just CG like the awesome cinematics from the game. Even from the original game, I love the dwarf on the mountain with the bear scene. No they aren't completely realistic but they are real close (and they don't need to be perfectly real). They are dynamic and exaggerated like WoW needs to be, colorful and more alive then earth. I hope they're not just thinking they'll just make it all gritty and real like LotR was. Might as well just make a Diablo movie then, that's not WoW. Why spend millions of dollars trying to make earth look like WoW and making real actors look like creatures, making thousands of realistic props and costumes and then trying to integrate all the real and CG elements (and failing or making compromises in story or scenes) when the only CG problem would be believable humans? Don't try for total realism and I think the Cg human would be far easier and the rest of the movie would be far better.
I'm thinking the people at WoW are just hoping to do a live action movie because (they can!) they haven't done one yet and want to do a 'real' movie-CG is getting old for them. But I don't think it's the best choice.
crash Jan 12th 2010 3:57PM
Wait..."safe hands"...You saw Spiderman 3 right? Don't you mean...JAZZZZZZ Hands?
Niflo Jan 12th 2010 4:18PM
The only thing worse than Avatar would be an Avatar rip-off.
Al Jan 12th 2010 4:42PM
How about an Avatar sequel?
/think.. Unless it's the Alien 3 type of sequel where everyone dies, which occurred to me while the credits were starting. The humans who stayed on Pandora die once their oxygen tanks run out (really should gone on the ships, boys), meanwhile the Marine fleet took off and nuked the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure....
Shaverdian Jan 12th 2010 4:58PM
Here's hoping it'll be in cgi. Not that I have a problem if it's anything else, but for Warcraft, cgi seems like it would be the best place for it.
Philip Jan 12th 2010 5:17PM
You guys realize the Spider-man fanboys savaged this guy, right?
I know WoW has 200 million players and all that but you haven't really seen drama like comic-book fanboys hating on Raimi.
In fact, ever since Batman Begins landed in 2005, they've been all over this guy to do right by Spiderman. His answer? Spiderman 3.
Be excited if you like, but I'd hold my anticipation till we had some firm casting rumors and word on who is writing this script.
graadle Jan 12th 2010 6:45PM
/sigh Why does any conversation on the internet devolve into arguments about Avatar. I'm already sick of the movie and I haven't even seen it yet!