Something went wrong. Try again later

Giant Bomb News

158 Comments

Duncan Jones Taking Reins of World of Warcraft Movie

The Moon and Source Code director will be picking up where Sam Raimi left off.

Jones on set.
Jones on set.

Of all the current video game movies kind of/sort of in development in Hollywood, few have seemed less likely to actually get off the ground than the often spoken of World of Warcraft movie. After Spider-Man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi had initially been tagged as the film's director, the project more or less went into hibernation, until production company Legendary Pictures grabbed Charles Leavitt's screenplay back and began searching for a new director. Now, apparently, it has found one.

Duncan Jones, the 41-year-old director of recent sci-fi highlights Moon and Source Code, has signed on to oversee the project, according to the Hollywood Reporter. This will be a considerable step up in terms of budget for Jones, who is expected to have in the range of $100 million to make the movie.

Legendary has kept Leavitt's script extremely close to the vest, so it's tough to assume much of anything about the project at this point. Still, Jones' involvement is at least an encouraging thing, given his active and outspoken interest in video games.

Legendary is currently planning on beginning shooting this year, with a 2015 release date. We'll see if that sticks. Or if this even happens at all. Because video game movies, you know?

Alex Navarro on Google+

158 Comments

Avatar image for farmer100eagle
farmer100eagle

6

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Avatar image for scubingsteve
ScubingSteve

2

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By ScubingSteve

If this does actually come out I will be suprised.

Avatar image for spraynardtatum
spraynardtatum

4384

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

Edited By spraynardtatum

What if it's just a drama written by Aaron Sorkin about the making of WoW?

Avatar image for graf1k
graf1k

634

Forum Posts

365

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By graf1k

I really liked Moon, although I wasn't as blown away by it as a lot of critics seem to have been, and Source Code was kind of okay. Personally, I think Raimi is highly overrated and hasn't made a good movie since A Simple Plan so this seems like a positive development to me, but I just really don't give a shit about WoW or a WoW movie so I'm still not interested. Wouldn't mind getting a percentage of the gross though as I bet if this movie ever gets made it's going to shit money literally everywhere.

Avatar image for penguindust
penguindust

13129

Forum Posts

22

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By penguindust

Is there such a thing as "vaporware" for movies? I'll believe it when I see it.

Avatar image for redgonzo
redgonzo

103

Forum Posts

1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By redgonzo

Moon was ok, haven't seen Source Code, also kind of zero excitement for this all watch it cause I watch most things but meh...

Avatar image for svenzon
Svenzon

946

Forum Posts

9

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 21

Edited By Svenzon

Half of the dialogue will be quotes from other media, if Blizzard's own writing is anything to go by. All the obnoxious references had a huge part in me not sticking with World of Warcraft.

If you look at it from the bright side, however, this will probably make a lot of money for Jones and he'll be able to make that loose sci-fi trilogy he's been talking about. Moon is supposed to be the first, with one direct follow-up and one "spiritual" sequel set in the same universe.

Avatar image for fisk0
fisk0

7321

Forum Posts

74197

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 75

Edited By fisk0  Moderator

@Discoman said:

Well I think the success of the movie hinges on if its more of a Warcraft movie than a WOW movie. Jones is a superb director and I hope he does well with this so he can get his Mute movie off the ground.

Yeah, I'm not sure about this. The WarCraft series have always had this weird contrast between the cutscenes and the tone in-game. Pretty serious and Warhammer derivative cutscenes, and then the kinda jokey in-game voice acting. The first three games were still pretty serious and story heavy over all, but WOW pretty much degraded into a collection of pop culture references set amongst the setpieces of a fantasy game.

I'm not quite sure what's even disctinctively WarCraft anymore, the RTS games are getting quite old at this point, and are probably unrecognizable as WarCraft for the current WOW fans, and if the movie follows in the footsteps of WOW it would pretty much just become an Seltzer/Friedberg Lord of the Rings parody movie.

Avatar image for stubee
Stubee

411

Forum Posts

102

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Stubee

Great Director but more importantly, he is David Bowie's son!

Avatar image for zuldim
Zuldim

321

Forum Posts

1463

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

Edited By Zuldim

@horseman6 said:

@Zuldim said:

@LarryDavis said:

@Zuldim said:

Ok, sure, I loved Moon, and The Source Code was pretty good, even if the ending didn't make much sense.

spoiler, none of source code made sense. :V

It was a fun, soft sci-fi thriller until the end, but in the last ~15 minutes it started contradicting the rules it set up earlier on how the "time travel" actually worked.

Not sure what you thought didn't make sense other than the end, I'd love to hear it.

There wasn't any time travel so it didn't really contradict itself.

According to the end of the movie it really was time travel after all though.
Avatar image for deactivated-5a0917a2494ce
deactivated-5a0917a2494ce

1349

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 4

@Zuldim said:

@LarryDavis said:

@Zuldim said:

Ok, sure, I loved Moon, and The Source Code was pretty good, even if the ending didn't make much sense.

spoiler, none of source code made sense. :V

It was a fun, soft sci-fi thriller until the end, but in the last ~15 minutes it started contradicting the rules it set up earlier on how the "time travel" actually worked.

Not sure what you thought didn't make sense other than the end, I'd love to hear it.

There wasn't any time travel so it didn't really contradict itself.

Avatar image for krakn3dfx
Krakn3Dfx

2746

Forum Posts

101

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 3

Edited By Krakn3Dfx

So this is that Choose Your Own Adventure Movie they were talking about.

I wonder if the first scene will be the main character beating sleeping peons with a blackjack.

Avatar image for mikular
mikular

177

Forum Posts

143

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By mikular

I like this guy's movies, and the fact that he's the spawn of Bowie only sweetens the pot. Here's hoping he pulls something worthwhile out of this crap. Who knows, maybe I'll get an adaptation movie that I love unironically this time.

Avatar image for nekroskop
Nekroskop

2830

Forum Posts

47

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By Nekroskop

Does watching the movie require a monthly subscription?

Avatar image for meltac
Meltac

2023

Forum Posts

116

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Meltac

I thought he was waaay younger than 41, don't know why.

Avatar image for coombs
Coombs

3509

Forum Posts

587

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 5

Edited By Coombs

Son of a bitch

If this movie re-ignites a desire to play WoW I am going to be very upset

Avatar image for extomar
EXTomar

5047

Forum Posts

4

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By EXTomar

Even at 5 million that would make WoW the biggest MMO by a big margin.

As for a movie, as long as it is couched as a solid movie that just happens to be founded on WoW it can do fine. Stay away from the tin foil hat stuff and just do "evil bad guys want to rule the world but elves, dwarves, humans and orcs beat them up!" and it will be fine.

Avatar image for nephrahim
Nephrahim

1265

Forum Posts

3

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Nephrahim

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

@Darkstorn said:

Regardless of the quality of the film, is WoW still culturally significant enough for this movie to be successful?

I feel that apart from a few million addicts, the mainstream games press has moved on from WoW as a cultural touchstone, as has pop culture in general. Am I wrong?

EDIT: Just read that this is specifically a Warcraft movie, not a WoW movie. I don't think most of the moviegoing public distinguishes between WCII, WCIII and WoW, largely because those games are even older! Not to mention that they made much less of a mark on mainstream culture.

Doesn't matter it's a fantasy movie, people will go. 10+ million subscribers will probably see it multiple times, plus buy the collectors edition Blu Rays and Merch. It just has to be a good movie, that is different enough from Peter Jacksons vision of middle earth or else it will just look like a LOTR rip off to the general public.

There are not 10 million WoW subscribers anymore, much less in North America (And I'm not sure what ticket prices are in places like China.) AND I doubt they will see it multiple times unless it is really great.

More than 10 million subscribers when Panda expansion was released last year, movies are released to more countries than USA and Canada.

Budget is 100 million dollars, meaning they would only need each subscriber of WOW to watch it once to be close to making back it's budget, plus other people than just WOW players will watch it, it's a fantasy movie.

That was a LONG time ago. Most estimates are the player base has dropped even faster then it did during Cata. It's not 10 million.

And again, I really don't think every single person who plays the game will see a movie about it.

I mean, I'm not trying to say I don't think it'll make it's money back, I think there's a good chance, I just don't see WoW players being the driving audience for it anymore. Maybe ex-wow players, of which there are a LOT of, and fantasy movie fans in general like you said.

Avatar image for nerdsbeware
nerdsbeware

281

Forum Posts

380

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 11

Edited By nerdsbeware

@Efesell said:

I (still) love WoW, but I'll never be interested in a movie unless its Blizzard CG.

Yea, this. But like others are saying, way past it's prime.

Avatar image for benpicko
benpicko

2020

Forum Posts

7

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By benpicko

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

The guy that is famous for being David Bowies son.

Have you actually seen any of the films that he's directed?

Avatar image for discoman
Discoman

203

Forum Posts

1086

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Discoman

Well I think the success of the movie hinges on if its more of a Warcraft movie than a WOW movie. Jones is a superb director and I hope he does well with this so he can get his Mute movie off the ground.

Avatar image for sharpless
Sharpless

505

Forum Posts

51

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By Sharpless

@moywar700 said:

Where is my Runescape movie?

Direct-to-YouTube.

Avatar image for bourbon_warrior
Bourbon_Warrior

4569

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Bourbon_Warrior

@SamDrugbringer said:

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

@Darkstorn said:

Regardless of the quality of the film, is WoW still culturally significant enough for this movie to be successful?

I feel that apart from a few million addicts, the mainstream games press has moved on from WoW as a cultural touchstone, as has pop culture in general. Am I wrong?

EDIT: Just read that this is specifically a Warcraft movie, not a WoW movie. I don't think most of the moviegoing public distinguishes between WCII, WCIII and WoW, largely because those games are even older! Not to mention that they made much less of a mark on mainstream culture.

Doesn't matter it's a fantasy movie, people will go. 10+ million subscribers will probably see it multiple times, plus buy the collectors edition Blu Rays and Merch. It just has to be a good movie, that is different enough from Peter Jacksons vision of middle earth or else it will just look like a LOTR rip off to the general public.

There are not 10 million WoW subscribers anymore, much less in North America (And I'm not sure what ticket prices are in places like China.) AND I doubt they will see it multiple times unless it is really great.

More than 10 million subscribers when Panda expansion was released last year, movies are released to more countries than USA and Canada.

Budget is 100 million dollars, meaning they would only need each subscriber of WOW to watch it once to be close to making back it's budget, plus other people than just WOW players will watch it, it's a fantasy movie.

Avatar image for nephrahim
Nephrahim

1265

Forum Posts

3

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Nephrahim

@Bourbon_Warrior said:

@Darkstorn said:

Regardless of the quality of the film, is WoW still culturally significant enough for this movie to be successful?

I feel that apart from a few million addicts, the mainstream games press has moved on from WoW as a cultural touchstone, as has pop culture in general. Am I wrong?

EDIT: Just read that this is specifically a Warcraft movie, not a WoW movie. I don't think most of the moviegoing public distinguishes between WCII, WCIII and WoW, largely because those games are even older! Not to mention that they made much less of a mark on mainstream culture.

Doesn't matter it's a fantasy movie, people will go. 10+ million subscribers will probably see it multiple times, plus buy the collectors edition Blu Rays and Merch. It just has to be a good movie, that is different enough from Peter Jacksons vision of middle earth or else it will just look like a LOTR rip off to the general public.

There are not 10 million WoW subscribers anymore, much less in North America (And I'm not sure what ticket prices are in places like China.) AND I doubt they will see it multiple times unless it is really great.

Avatar image for moywar700
moywar700

248

Forum Posts

3

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By moywar700

Where is my Runescape movie?

Avatar image for mushir
Mushir

2630

Forum Posts

3328

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 2

Edited By Mushir

Moon was amazing. Source Code was shit. I don't completely trust this director yet.

Avatar image for iainfarrell
iainfarrell

58

Forum Posts

200

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 3

Edited By iainfarrell

I can't think of a better choice. I have high hopes, his previous work was creative, successful and I think he respects his stories.

Avatar image for bourbon_warrior
Bourbon_Warrior

4569

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Bourbon_Warrior

@Darkstorn said:

Regardless of the quality of the film, is WoW still culturally significant enough for this movie to be successful?

I feel that apart from a few million addicts, the mainstream games press has moved on from WoW as a cultural touchstone, as has pop culture in general. Am I wrong?

EDIT: Just read that this is specifically a Warcraft movie, not a WoW movie. I don't think most of the moviegoing public distinguishes between WCII, WCIII and WoW, largely because those games are even older! Not to mention that they made much less of a mark on mainstream culture.

Doesn't matter it's a fantasy movie, people will go. 10+ million subscribers will probably see it multiple times, plus buy the collectors edition Blu Rays and Merch. It just has to be a good movie, that is different enough from Peter Jacksons vision of middle earth or else it will just look like a LOTR rip off to the general public.

Avatar image for bourbon_warrior
Bourbon_Warrior

4569

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Bourbon_Warrior

The guy that is famous for being David Bowies son.

Avatar image for larrydavis
LarryDavis

1698

Forum Posts

23

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Edited By LarryDavis

@Zuldim: Actually, this is precisely what I was expecting the end twist to be, and I guess you could still interpret it that way. It just ended up going in a way stranger direction.

Dr. Jake Gyllenhaal never returned home.

Avatar image for hollitz
hollitz

2398

Forum Posts

5

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 12

Edited By hollitz

Wonder if the movie will look like a PSONE game.

Avatar image for meatsim
MeatSim

11201

Forum Posts

150

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 23

Edited By MeatSim

I can't believe someone is still trying to make this movie happen after all these years.

Avatar image for grixxel
Grixxel

921

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Grixxel

Oh look, four years later and we're still talking about -maybe- making the movie! Phew! Here I thought it was never going to be made.

Avatar image for evercaptor
Evercaptor

436

Forum Posts

3014

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Evercaptor

Makes a change from them just ripping off movies like Kung Fu Panda, am I right?

Avatar image for doctorchimp
Doctorchimp

4190

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By Doctorchimp

@rebgav said:

@Undeadpool said:

@rebgav said:

@Undeadpool said:

Well he's a better director, so it's a step in the right direction. And I really never noticed HOW MUCH he looks like his dad...

@rebgav said:

@Hailinel said:

@zeekthegeek

@Doctorchimp said:

This better just end up being Labyrinth 2.

Well he is David Bowie's son.

That's the joke.

Nah, the "joke" is that Duncan Jones can't have a career or reputation of his own because his father was so successful.

"Hi, I'm Duncan Jones, director of 'Moon'."

YOU USED TO BE IN DAVID BOWIE'S BALLS!

It's a sadness.

As Max Landis pointed out: the idea of nepotism in Hollywood is somewhat overblown, no producer or company is going to let you make an entire movie just because you're someone's kid, they might as well buy you a HOUSE.

The fuck are you talking about? I was referring to the fact that, much as is on display in this thread, you can't say the man's name without everyone immediately blathering on about his father.

Duder, dial back a notch, I was AGREEING with you saying that it's sad that people think you could launch such a fantastic directing career just cause your dad's a famous singer (who you distanced yourself from by changing your name).

I was confused, not angry :p

I don't know if people think he's benefiting from being Bowie's son, they just seem to completely diminish or ignore him in favor of making Bowie references. I do wonder if it would be different if he used the name, it might mitigate some of the chatter 'cause there'd be little point in smugly pointing out who his family are.

Yup, I totally didn't support Moon and Source Code by tracking it down in the theaters and then buying the blu rays. I'm just making David Bowie jokes and diminishing this man's entire existence.

Sorry, but nothing this kid will do will top Major Tom...

How's that? Are you crying for the spawn of David Bowie now?

Avatar image for deactivated-630b11c195a3b
deactivated-630b11c195a3b

1072

Forum Posts

96

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

say WHAT?????

Avatar image for re_player1
RE_Player1

8074

Forum Posts

1047

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By RE_Player1

This will never get made.

Avatar image for toowalrus
toowalrus

13408

Forum Posts

29

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By toowalrus

Coming to theaters in twenty-oh-never.

Avatar image for voysa_reezun
Voysa_Reezun

100

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Voysa_Reezun

Hey, I am all for this because I really like Duncan Jones. If this is a hit and it gives him enough cache to finally get funding for Mute, it will have been worth it. I might even see it, as much as I don't car about Warcraft at all, just because he's shooting it.

Avatar image for probablytuna
probablytuna

5010

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By probablytuna

I'd prefer Duncan Jones to focus on making his own materials cause Moon was freaking fantastic. I liked Source Code but not as much as his debut film. This isn't getting me very excited for the project.

Avatar image for zuldim
Zuldim

321

Forum Posts

1463

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

Edited By Zuldim

@LarryDavis said:

@Zuldim said:

@LarryDavis said:

@Zuldim said:

Ok, sure, I loved Moon, and The Source Code was pretty good, even if the ending didn't make much sense.

spoiler, none of source code made sense. :V

It was a fun, soft sci-fi thriller until the end, but in the last ~15 minutes it started contradicting the rules it set up earlier on how the "time travel" actually worked.

Not sure what you thought didn't make sense other than the end, I'd love to hear it.

Wasn't the "time travel" based on the remnants of memories the people on the train had? If that was the case, he shouldn't have been able to see anything that they couldn't like the bomb, or their reactions to things he did that never happened.

I dunno, I liked the movie overall, but that was kind of bugging me. If they hadn't bothered to give that explanation, and did just go "you're Quantum Leaping, whatever", it would have been fine.

So that's a good point. The way I figure it (and the only thing which makes the ending make any sense at all) is that the scientist who made the machine didn't understand how it actually worked (I know that's stupid, but bear with me). He thought that it let you live out the memories of this other guy, Assassin's Creed style, but it actually did Quantum Leap you into this person, in another possible dimension. Thus, every time the train exploded, that train really exploded in another dimension, and then shocked What's-His-Name back, to go to another dimension.

At the ending, he actually makes a "perfect run" of the level, and so he doesn't die, and gets to continue on in this universe, living out some shmuck's life. The train never explodes, so the project never uses him to stop it in this dimension, and they wait for a disaster to use him with. (End film.) Eventually, another disaster happens, they use him to stop it, the same thing happens, he makes a "perfect run" of that dimension, and lives out some other regular shmuck's life (thus there are now two What's-His-Face's walking around in other people's bodies.

Now admittedly, that doesn't make total sense either, but it's the only thing which makes the ending anything other than nonsensical.

So yeah, you're right, that was a weird leap of logic, I'd rather they had just been quantum leaping properly instead.

Avatar image for subyman
subyman

729

Forum Posts

2719

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

Edited By subyman

Live action?

Avatar image for darkstorn
darkstorn

481

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By darkstorn

Regardless of the quality of the film, is WoW still culturally significant enough for this movie to be successful?

I feel that apart from a few million addicts, the mainstream games press has moved on from WoW as a cultural touchstone, as has pop culture in general. Am I wrong?

EDIT: Just read that this is specifically a Warcraft movie, not a WoW movie. I don't think most of the moviegoing public distinguishes between WCII, WCIII and WoW, largely because those games are even older! Not to mention that they made much less of a mark on mainstream culture.

Avatar image for frankfartmouth
frankfartmouth

1048

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

Edited By frankfartmouth

Pppppbbbbbttt. Source Code and Moon were both good. I hate to see a skilled director go the way of the gaming movie. Someday somebody will crack the code, but until then, I'll safely assume it's going to suck shit.

EDIT: I'm glad Raimi backed out. Not a good sign for the movie though.

Avatar image for devitiffany
devitiffany

572

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By devitiffany

The cynicism toward video game movies before we even see a second of footage makes me sad. It just continues to propagate a self fulfilling prophecy. No one will see the movie because they've already decided it's crap before it comes out so it doesn't make any money, and if studios don't think the movie will make money then they won't put any effort into it. I like waiting for a trailer or something before start getting all cynical about it.

Avatar image for ch3burashka
ch3burashka

6086

Forum Posts

100

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By ch3burashka

Can't we all just admit this ain't happening?

Avatar image for stinky
stinky

1564

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By stinky

if its blizzard CG or better i'm in. 
hope the middle of the film isn't a grind though. 
 
vote is for Nefarian being the villain or the "you are not prepared" guy (BC) whose name i can't remember.  
 
ending credits should list loot won at the end as well.