‘World Of Warcraft’ Movie: Poster Release Allays Doubts About Production

The World of Warcraft movie, Warcraft, has been in production for a very long time. There are some doubts about whether it would ever actually be released, with outlets like The Hollywood Reporter claiming those involved saw it as a “problem movie.” Despite the categorical denial of this on Twitter by writer and director Duncan Jones, the fact that production wrapped in May 2014 has led some to have concerns about the viability of Warcraft.

@CLAWX I wouldn't worry about that. Universal moved us to the same date as Jurassic World, so we must have done something right!

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) September 16, 2015

The initial release date for the World of Warcraft movie was announced as being December 18 this year but, according to Gamespot, was moved to May 2016 to avoid a clash with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The release date was pushed back even further to June 10 of next year which, as Jones points out, is the same release date that was allocated to blockbuster Jurassic World in 2015. The lack of any official material until now has had some fans seriously worried, with many pointing out the unusual absence of a trailer or even official images for the World of Warcraft movie until now. Many were hopeful of a showcase at the next Blizzcon, and it looks like their hopes might be fulfilled. The release of a trailer has officially been announced for Friday, November 6, which can reasonably be taken as an indication that all is well and the movie will be released on time.

From the look of the poster and images, the production team has aimed the World of Warcraft movie squarely at the game’s traditional fan base. The film poster could easily be mistaken for any number of Warcraft promos, being strongly reminiscent of cover and feature images for the game. World of Warcraft lore is famously rich and complex, which would be bound to represent a serious story-telling challenge to any writer attempting to appeal to the uninitiated, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the materials thus far seem so heavily-geared toward current fans. With an estimated subscriber strength of approximately 7 million gamers, aiming at the existing fan base is probably a safe decision.

Enemies will unite and worlds will collide. Get ready for the worldwide debut of the #WarcraftMovie trailer on 11/6. pic.twitter.com/L8O94Wg9ot

— #WarcraftMovie (@warcraftmovie) November 2, 2015

The World of Warcraft movie is one of several game adaptations in the works, but it does represent something of a first in the way it has been funded. Chinese state-owned giant China Film Company Ltd has put forth an “eight figure equity” investment in the film. This is reportedly the first time a Chinese company has taken a significant stake in a Hollywood film.

Warcraft is an epic-scaled 3D adaptation of a storyline based on the hugely popular Blizzard game, World of Warcraft. Film writers Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and Charles Leavitt wrote the script, with Jones in the director’s chair. On the Alliance side, King Llane Wrynn will be played by Dominic Cooper, with Travis Fimmel as Anduin Lothar. The Horde favorite Blackhand will be played by Clancy Brown, and Daniel Wu will be making an appearance as Gul’Dan. Garona, always caught between the warring factions, will be played by Paula Patton. Warcraft is a joint production of Blizzard, Legendary Pictures and Atlas Entertainment. The film’s release will be handled by Universal and is slated for June 10.

[Image via Legendary Pictures]