We’re probably the last people that you’d expect to be excited for a film set in the universe of World of Warcraft, but that’s the position we find ourselves in now. The movie, Warcraft, is supposed to be a live-action version that takes on Blizzard‘s franchise, but video game movies are notoriously awful. We’ve been burned before. That’s not to mention the fact that the Warcraft mythos is sprawling and any slight miscalculation on the film’s part will be seen as a travesty. Even so, it’s been revealed that Duncan Jones, director of sci-fi darling Moon, will be at the helm, and that’s left us cautiously optimistic.
Moon, starring Sam Rockwell, was a low-key romp set on — what else? — the Moon that made waves back in 2009. Jones went on to direct Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal in 2011. Both had a strong science fiction edge to them, with one being set in space and the other essentially involved time travel, so it’s not like Jones doesn’t have experience with genre work.
That said, taking on a task like Warcraft is still not to be taken lightly. The tentative schedule would see filming start later this year for a 2015 release date, and that just seems rather fast even if they do already have a script from Charles Leavitt. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see this slip from a 2015 release date.
After all, Jones will have to make sure he has a tank, healer, and three DPS. How else will he take on Scarlet Monastery?
(The Hollywood Reporter via /Film, image via leshoward)
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