Posted on: July 22nd, 2009 Raimi to Direct ‘World of Warcraft’ Film
Hm. Now this here’s a head-scratcher.
Now, I’ve never played World of Warcraft, once in my life. I know what it is and I know people that are balls deep in it. I’ve seen people play it – though there doesn’t seem to be a lot of playing, it’s just walking around. The argument has been made that Lord of the Rings is just walking around. But I get why people like it. I understand the game and the appeal of it to a broad audience.
I suppose it were only a matter of time before Hollywood dipped its fingers in the WoW honey pot and tackled a movie based on the divorce-lawyer loving game from producers Blizzard. What I didn’t expect was for this news to come out of nowhere, and with a pretty great director attached.
Ain’t It Cool News confirms the news that Sam Raimi is attached to direct this “huge budget fantasy bit of unfuckingimaginable coolness”. Again, I’m completely out-of-the-loop when it comes to the fantasy/elves/trolls/wizards part of geekdom. I mean, I really dug Lord of the Rings but from what I’ve seen of WoW, the Peter Jackson films are far more accessible. I would expect that this big-screen adaptation would follow the same model as LotR though. If anything it will have to be loosely based off the concept of a fantasy world with a young so-and-so’s journey into wizardhood or something. If anyone could pull this off, I’d have to give it to someone like Raimi or Guillermo Del Toro, so the potential for a kick-ass fantasy-action epic is there. I’m not shy with my love for Sam Raimi, especially with this year’s Drag Me to Hell. Lest we also not forget his awesome resume consisting of the Evil Dead films, Army of Darkness, Darkman, A Simple Plan and the Spider-Man series.
According to Variety, Blizzard and Legendary Pictures are behind the film with Warner Bros. distributing. Raimi is expected to join production after he finishes work on Spider-Man 4 next year.
2 Responses to “Raimi to Direct ‘World of Warcraft’ Film”
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Gavin Stone Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:40 amI really don’t know how I fell about this. When I think Epic Fantasy, I don’t think Rami. When I think campy fun, I think Rami. How will he sneak his staple fare into a WoW movie? Like eyes poping out of people into other’s mouths? Or that ugly, ugly car. I’m just waiting for an orc to go This Is My Bookstick.
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Richard Christensen Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 pmI have never been part of the whole Warcraft that swept everyone else around me, but given that I enjoy Raimis work, i actaully did not support the decision to hisrehim as directot for the SM series becuase it felt out of the ordianry for his style. And here we are three films later and he has managed to impress me, so I think its the same situation here, I say give him a chance, becuase i am sure he will surpise you with what he can do.