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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsDirector predicts Warcraft film will break video game movie trend
by Dawn Moore 
Jan 2nd 2011 at 4:00PM
In the article, Jones says he believes it's possible to make a good adaptation -- it just has to be approached properly. "A good game adaptation is where you find the story or the emotional aspect that's at the heart of a computer game and you replicate that on film. It doesn't mean you need to have first person perspective or try and capture the mechanics of a game," he says.
Jones thinks the Warcraft film will be the film to break the mold because director Sam Raimi seems to be approaching the film correctly. "From the little I've read of interviews with him, the way he's approaching it makes so much sense. It's what I was talking about – it's not worrying about how the game plays, it's about creating the world of the game and investing the audience in that world."
Jones explains that he's a serious gamer himself and is skeptical about other directors who claim the same. He doesn't think most directors have the time to be both hardcore gamers and filmmakers. Jones, on the other hand, says he stays up all night to accommodate his gaming habit and cites titles like Starcraft 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops. He also says he's looking forward to Diablo 3.
Jones admits that he's "hugely jealous" of Raimi's getting the chance to direct the Warcraft film; the writer of the article goes so far as to suggest that Jones have a chance at directing it, since Raimi set it aside to work on The Great and Mighty Oz. That's not really quite how Hollywood works, though, so unless Raimi steps down from the project himself, I wouldn't count on his losing the project just yet.
Filed under: Warcraft Movie
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Sedna Jan 2nd 2011 4:39PM
The thought of an awesome Warcraft movie is sustaining me through evade bugs and login errors and months upon months of soul-crushing labor with no end in sight (that last refers to my current job, not the gearing process, although given my number of alts...)
Zoe Jan 2nd 2011 4:55PM
Who cares about the Warcraft movie and new Oz? Make Evil Dead 4.
Cyno01 Jan 2nd 2011 8:12PM
They shoulda just done Freddy vs Jason vs Ash. That woulda been epic...
Bruce is getting a little long in the tooth though, its a little too late for any more Evil Dead unfortunately. Unless they went the Indiana Jones 4 route... and we all know how that went.
Mr. Tastix Jan 2nd 2011 4:56PM
I'm not convinced.
Anyone can stand here and tell me "This movie won't be like other video game movies!" but you know who else said that? Every other person who ever directed a video game movie.
Some of them weren't entirely bad, most were offensive to my senses. It doesn't matter how good of a director you are, the movie itself will tell us if it's not like other video game adaptations.
TL;DR: I'm sceptical and any other gamer who isn't is naive.
Janaa Jan 2nd 2011 8:43PM
I'm skeptical as well, as I've seen directors before try to take the "heart of the game, but make the movie plot completely different" not work out too well before, eg. Wing Commander. Alone in the Dark.
Then again, "stick with the plot" movies are just as bad, if not worse. eg. Doom. Bloodrayne. Postal.
There are few examples where the heart and general plot setting remain generally intact while retaining its independence as a film, even if the films ultimately aren't well received. Eg, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider.
I hope he can pull it off. It could be the best, or worst thing for the franchise.
Mr. Tastix Jan 2nd 2011 8:59PM
Most writers don't want to make a complete re-enactment of the game because, quite honestly, it's not creative. Not unless the film's writer was also the writer for the game, as well.
However, some fans such as myself would simply prefer it if the writers kept to the original storyline as closely as possible. I would love some of BioWare's games to hit the big screen but I wouldn't want them changed too much. I would rather BioWare's writers write the film's plot than someone else half-ass it like has happened so many times before.
Revrant Jan 3rd 2011 2:05AM
I'm not skeptical simply for the sake of being skeptical, as you are, and with good reason I might add, there are no good videogame movies, Prince of Persia is as close as you can get, and even then it's a shallow muddle of poorly sewn together action.
I'm skeptical because everything I've read, quoted directly below, says big dumb made up anti-lore action movie told from the perspective of only the Alliance, who will be entirely "good guys"(in reality they are morally nuanced) that stomp everyone.
“It’s actually not like the great adventure. It’s not so much a quest movie. It’s more of a war movie. Well, okay, it’s absolutely a war movie. Cultures grinding up to a horrible moment where it just all spills over and gets out of control. Less of an adventure party quest-type situation. More of an armies building to an inevitable conclusion type situation.”
So war, war, war, war, and I'm guessing the Alliance wins and is just for doing so, sigh.
“While my heart lies with the Horde and Thrall’s an interesting character, from a movie making standpoint, a blockbuster movie its a little rough to try and tell it from the perspective of this green looking dude.”
This one made me feel crestfallen, in total honesty, because it verifies everything I worried about, a big dumb action flick with some made up new Mary Sue leading the cast.
I love Warcraft, but the lyrics of Blues Traveler's "Run-Around" sum up my emotions quite well
"Like a nervous magician waiting in the wings
Of a bad play where the heroes are right
And nobody thinks or expects too much"
Infamado Jan 2nd 2011 5:11PM
News just in: Man in charge of film says film will not be terrible. More to follow.
unexpectedeof Jan 2nd 2011 5:26PM
He's not even in charge of the film. Or even related to production of the film! He's just a guy who saw some interviews ABOUT the film.
Artificial Jan 2nd 2011 5:35PM
This just in: clueless blog commenter didn't even read the article.
(The comments are by Duncan Jones. The man in charge of the film is Sam Raimi.)
Dawn Moore Jan 2nd 2011 6:00PM
I honestly had the same thoughts about this article, but the editors wanted someone to write this up so I volunteered since I usually do the movie stuff anyway. Jones seems like he might just be trying to self-promote, honestly. If you go and read the original article he actually comments on it with his twitter account and I just can't help but feel turned off by the air he has. Maybe it's more the projection of the article and the way the author suggest that because Jones is a gamer and director he should get to direct this film over Raimi. Having a gamer for a director is not going to make this film successful - It's about getting a director who is actually a good director, pairing him up with a good script writer, and getting the two of them to find the story in the game. I'm actually a bit concerned the film will just be a weird fantasy set war film, since Rodat's big claim to fame is Saving Private Ryan. *shrug*
unexpectedeof Jan 2nd 2011 5:13PM
So lemme get this straight.
A guy unrelated to the production of the movie read some interviews in which Raimi is going to be mostly self-promoting and said that what he said there means that the movie is going to break bad movie trends.
I... what?
Jenny Jan 2nd 2011 5:34PM
That's about it. But of course he knows what he's talking about because unlike most movie directors, he's not too busy to play games all day long!
And notice how he's talking as if no one before had had the idea to make a videogame movie built on story and cinematography and stuff instead of game mechanics.
Where do they find these lunatics?
kunukia Jan 2nd 2011 5:36PM
As long as a Dwarf lady is the heroine, it will be awesome!!
steve Jan 2nd 2011 5:37PM
Every time I see a cinematic from WC, WoW I just get anxious about this movie. I hope they really manage to pull it off the way it should be.
deviationer Jan 2nd 2011 5:38PM
Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children and Silent Hill are the only video game to movie adaptations that I remember being good.
Noselacri Jan 2nd 2011 5:45PM
You forgot Mortal Kombat.
unexpectedeof Jan 2nd 2011 5:54PM
Both of these movies were absolutely terrible. Advent Children had no plot to speak of and Silent Hill was poorly done in almost every regard.
Léona Jan 2nd 2011 8:37PM
Advent children was terrible. Absolutely terrible. So terrible, that it made me lose my love of the Final Fantasy franchise. How could they let that abomination be set forth upon the world? Euch. It was just bad.
Jerry Jan 2nd 2011 5:54PM
This movie will never get made. It will always get pushed aside for other projects, and then one day WoW won't be popular enough anymore for it to be marketable. It's a droplet of a movie idea in an ocean of ideas. Video game movie ideas don't get serious attention until some low budget production comes along to give it a try and ends up slaughtering it. The only fantasy bigger than WoW is the fantasy that someone like Sam Raimi ever cared about this movie, when in reality it's the whole "call me" mentality of Hollywood.