Some friends convinced me to try out World of Warcraft for the free trial period. I created a character and played a bit, but the game never took a hold of me. Maybe I’m just not the kind of a guy who has fun in a game where each mission is along the lines of “Head to CrotchRot Swamp and collect 40 Skins of Fore.” Hack, slash, repeat for three and a half hours.
Now there’s a Warcraft movie in development and I hope it captures that unique flavor. I also hope it captures the unique odor of nerds awake all night, subsisting on Doritos and Mountain Dew and losing their day jobs. I also hope there’s a scene where that hot night elf our hero was cybering with turns out to be a fat dude in a basement in Cleveland.
The production company Legendary Pictures – the folks behind Batman Begins, Superman Returns and the Lady in the Water – is setting this thing up. The plan isn’t to adapt any of the games, but rather to set a new adventure in the Warcraft Universe. "We were looking for worlds that are rich in mythology and theme, that were branded in some way, and partners who could help in the translation of making something that was going to be seen as standing above and beyond some of the other translations from game to film that have not worked," Legendary chief creative officer Jon Jashni said. I am sure that Legendary was also attracted to the game’s 6 million person subscriber base.
Look for this to be a long development process, completely funded by men in China working 20 hour shifts as gold farmers.