Back in December 2010 Duncan Jones spoke to Devin Faraci at Badass Digest and eventually got on to the subject of video games and their adaptation to film, and what game would best make the transition to the big screen. At the time Sam Raimi was in the hot seat to direct World of Warcraft, something that brought the green eyed monster out in Duncan:
“I’m hugely jealous of Sam Raimi, I really believe World of Warcraft could be the launch of computer games as good films. And 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.”
Well things change, and Sam Raimi moved on to the soon to be released The Great and Mighty Oz, and the film adaptation of Blizzard’s incredibly successful MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) has been looking for a director, until now…
Exclusively broken just now over on The Hollywood Reporter, it has been announced that our old pal Duncan Jones (MOON, Source Code) will be heading off to Azeroth later this year as Director of ‘Warcraft’ with Legendary Pictures (Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel) and Blizzard Entertainment.
This is a MASSIVE step up for Duncan who will be accompanied by long time producer Stuart Fenegan, and well deserved after the success of MOON (2009) and Source Code (2011). Being just a bit of a hard core gamer I think we can safely say he will do all you Warcraft fans proud, while at the same time creating a magical, living breathing world for us all to travel to, and experience fantastic adventures in. Confirming his acceptance of the challenge on Twitter just now, Duncan said:
So the gauntlet was thrown down ages ago: Can you make a proper MOVIE of a video game. Ive always said its possible. Got to DO it now! 😉
Congratulations Mr. Jones! I’m sure this is all going to be a LOT of fun 🙂 There is one burning question though, and I will leave it to Bill Mudron to ask:
Good luck to
@ManMadeMoon in his attempt to find a way to work a Chesney Hawkes song into the Warcraft movie!
I’m just firing up WoW to have a wee mooch about, see ya later 😉
Good luck Duncan, you’ll need it since I’ve red many comments about you directing it – people are not elated because they know nothing about the Warcraft universe, they view it like some neckbeard game
I hope you’ll be good, IMO you’re a much better choice than Sam Raimi (this coming from a Raimi fan)
You have all neckbeards behind you ;D – Lok’tar!
Good luck Duncan, will be a film to crack! I just hope you know what you’re doing, get Blizzard to fill you in if you haven’t played it. I play it non stop!
Can’t wait fingers crossed.
Like a huuuuge fan (and player) of World of Warcraft and a underground “filmmaker” for profession. Love the news about Warcraft movie. It’s like the two things i enjoy most together at last! 😛
Best of luck for you and your team, and hope to see some great characters of the game in the bigscreen, and of course the epicity epic of all epic times.
Greetings from Colombia.
*epic movie of all epic times (sorry) 😛