Blizzard man talks WOW movie

By Ellie Gibson Published 17 May, 2006

It's for fans and non-fans alike.

Blizzard bigwig Paul Sams has declared that the World of Warcraft movie is coming along nicely, thank you - and that unlike most big screen game adaptations, it won't be completely rubbish.

As announced last week, Blizzard is working on the project with Legendary Productions, the company responsible for Batman Begins and Superman Returns.

In an interview with Gamespot, Sams said: "We and Legendary want to make a great film, an event picture, big-budget picture, that is a great standalone, fantasy-based movie that is good for you regardless of whether you're familiar with the Warcraft universe.

"We're not trying to take what we've done and... try to make a literal translation to the big screen. What we want to do is to make a great movie that happens to be set in a videogame universe. That's a differentiator, and a key differentiator."

It helps that the Warcraft series has been around for more than a decade now, according to Sams: "There's a huge tapestry from which to work - a lot of the other videogame movies we've seen prior to this have not had the benefit of as much lore and mythology, and this huge visual tapestry from which to work from. I think we're bringing more to the table that movie makers will be able to draw from."

He reckons the finished movie will end up "somewhere between Braveheart and Lord of the Rings"... So does that mean they'll be approaching Peter Jackson to direct?

"That's an obvious. Yeah, he would kick ass at this. But, you know, whether we can get him or whether he'd be interested... Who knows?"

They're still "fleshing out" the story, but once that's done Blizzard will have final approval on who actually writes the script. "We'll have a lot of input and say as to what the screenplay ultimately ends up looking like. And we feel really good about that... We're there as a creative backstop to make sure, from a continuity perspective for all the Warcraft people, that we do right by the franchise," Sams explained.

As for when the movie will arrive in cinemas - well, not for ages and ages, by the sound of things. Sams said they still have to finish and refine the treatment, hire the screenwriter, make sure everything is totally accurate with regard to WOW lore, and find a director before they start actually pointing cameras at people wearing giant rubber ears.

"Legendary and Blizzard have the same answer on when they're going to get it done," said Sams, "And that's when it's right."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (22) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • lambtron #1 6 years ago

    "We're not trying to take what we've done and... try to make a literal translation to the big screen. What we want to do is to make a great movie that happens to be set in a videogame universe. That's a differentiator, and a key differentiator."

    And therein is why so far every Game-Movie adaptation has failed. Perhaps even why a good one is not possible.

  • Darkedge #2 6 years ago

    "There's a huge tapestry from which to work - a lot of the other videogame movies we've seen prior to this have not had the benefit of as much lore and mythology, and this huge visual tapestry from which to work from. I think we're bringing more to the table that movie makers will be able to draw from."

    yeah as WoW stole ideas from anything they could lay their hands on..

    it should've been CG.

  • #3 6 years ago

    and that unlike most big screen game adaptations, it won't be completely rubbish.

    Same Shit, Different Day.

  • Laserbream #4 6 years ago

    My preferrences for a WoW flick, in order:

    1. Animation
    2. CG
    3. Muppets style puppets
    4. Sock puppets
    5. Shadow puppets
    6. A storyboard presented on those old binocular-type devices, you know, the ones with the flat circular bits you slotted into the device and then cycled through the frames
    7. Live action

  • mazzl #5 6 years ago

    stop touching me!

  • Eldritch #6 6 years ago

    "Yeah, he would kick ass at this. "

    WoW, here's a guy who can talk the talk.

  • Sko #7 6 years ago

    Can't say I'd be too keen on a CG movie. Sure, it'd probably look lush but it'd just look like the hundreds of other soulless fantasy CG intros you get on the front of games these days.

  • Talha #8 6 years ago

    @jamesphilp : If I am correct, you are quoting Stephen King here, right??

    By the way, 'its for fans and non-fans alike'. Because it will turn BOTH camps into murderous zombies ready to devour the first director that crosses their way!

  • Dynamize #9 6 years ago

    They couldn't muster the writing talent to make a point and click adventure set in the Warcraft universe, so they canned it. Now they're going to go at it for a film. Uh-huh.
    We really need a constant broadcast that tells game devs that there's a reason all their "kick-ass" script treatments never elicit a job offer from Hollywood.

  • TurdBreaker #10 6 years ago

    @Laserbream

    I'd prefer a combination of 4 and 5 -- that would deliver the best entertainment value. ;)

  • Kelduum #11 6 years ago

    ... those old binocular-type devices, you know, the ones with the flat circular bits you slotted into the device and then cycled through the frames.

    That would be the View-Master (which, by the way, was clearly an influence for the Virtual Boy)

  • neilka #12 6 years ago

    Blizzard Man
    Blizzard Man
    Windy and wet
    Blizzard Man

  • #13 6 years ago

    Talhar - I'm not ruling it out, but there's a Lyrics born album of remixes that has that title, which is what i was refering to.

  • Talha #14 6 years ago

    @jamesphilp : OK - it is entirely possible SK nicked that phrase from somewhere as well - after all he is a big rock and roll fan. In any case this was used extensively in the novel (and movie) 'Dreamcatcher'.

  • #15 6 years ago

    Ah yes I saw that movie,
    ...forgetable....

  • Darkedge #16 6 years ago

    SK is almost as big an ideas thief as Blizzard.

    Same shit different day has been around since before he was born ffs.

  • jonnyreb #17 6 years ago

    I wonder if they will also include the masses of 12 year old's shouting obscenities in random languages in /general?

  • Azazel #18 6 years ago

    Well if they can't get Peter Jackson, maybe the guy who directed 'Dungeons and Dragons' will be available?

  • O-Fox #19 6 years ago

    WHY IS THIS NOT CG GRAHRAHRHARGH

  • vegard #20 6 years ago

    get uwe!!!

  • WrongShui #21 6 years ago

    "somewhere between Braveheart and Lord of the Rings"

    I reckon somewhere between Street Fighter and Mario Bros.

    I'll go watch it, I just need 39 other people to go with me.
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/06 @ 01:23

  • rinoaMW #22 6 years ago

    Hehe, WrongShui :)

    LFG Cinema - Have Ticket! :p