Warcraft Movie In The Works News

Blizzard Entertainment has today confirmed that Legendary Pictures, which was responsible for 2005's Batman Begins and this Summer's Superman Returns, has acquired the movie rights to Warcraft.

Although at an early stage there's sure to be some questions asked by many in the massive Warcraft communities around the globe, including whether the infamous Leeroy "Leeeeeeeroy" Jenkins will be called upon to add his own unique take to the battle sequences, but currently both parties are stating that further information on the project will be released in future months.

We searched for a very long time to find the right studio for developing a movie based on one of our game universes," said Paul Sams, Chief Operating Officer of Blizzard Entertainment. "Many companies approached us in the past, but it wasn't until we met with Legendary Pictures that we felt we'd found the perfect partner. They clearly share our high standards for creative development, and because they understand the vision that we've always strived for with our Warcraft games, we feel there isn't a better studio out there for bringing the Warcraft story to film."

"One of our goals at Legendary Pictures has been to bring heroic stories to life in groundbreaking ways, and it's inspiring to work with a company such as Blizzard that takes that approach with each of its products," stated Legendary Pictures Chairman and CEO Thomas Tull. "The Warcraft universe is possessed of such a rich mythology and, as such, serves as an ideal platform as we go about translating that universe into what we intend to be a major event film."

"From our first Warcraft game to our latest novels, our intention has always been to develop a rich fantasy universe that could support stories and products in many forms," stated Chris Metzen, Blizzard Entertainment's Vice President of Creative Development. "In addition to being a truly rewarding experience for us, the creation of this motion picture also feels like a natural next step for the Warcraft universe."

"It's not always the case that interactive game properties lend themselves to proper adaptation to film," said Jon Jashni, Legendary Pictures' Chief Creative Officer. "We are intending to approach this as we would the adaptation of a best-selling novel: respect the essence of all that it is but also build upon that fertile base while translating it into a new medium."

The Warcraft IP becomes the latest in a long line of videogames to movie adaptations, including the forthcoming Halo movie, and it'll be interesting to see whether the movie will be able to capture the essence of Blizzard's world.

We'll have more news shortly...