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'Warcraft' Movie Post-Production |OT| 20 months of...hype? Maybe?

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strafer

member
still blows my mind that the director is the son of David Bowie.

And I found that out in the David Bowie passed away thread.
 

Anoregon

The flight plan I just filed with the agency list me, my men, Dr. Pavel here. But only one of you!
looks awful, no undead was a huge mistake

Undead didn't really exist in the Warcraft universe (aside from your run of the mill necromancer here and there) until like 20 years after this movie takes place.

I mean, the dude who's going to become the Lich King is like a toddler at this point.
 
I'm so confused by this movie.

Great director, ILM working on it, likely full support from Blizz, why does the trailer look like a made for tv/netflix movie? Did anyone feel the FX looked cheap?
 

Tacitus_

Member
Undead didn't really exist in the Warcraft universe (aside from your run of the mill necromancer here and there) until like 20 years after this movie takes place.

I mean, the dude wh(o's going to become the Lich King is like a toddler at this point.

Until WC2 and the Second War, which wasn't that long after the First War. The Horde utilized undead Death Knights (orc warlock soul in a dead human knight body) and said DKs could also raise skeletons.
 
I'm so confused by this movie.

Great director, ILM working on it, likely full support from Blizz, why does the trailer look like a made for tv/netflix movie? Did anyone feel the FX looked cheap?
I saw the trailer before I heard who the director was. I seriously thought initially it was an Uwe Boll flick, I was fucking shocked it's from the same guy who put out Moon.
 

Anoregon

The flight plan I just filed with the agency list me, my men, Dr. Pavel here. But only one of you!
Until WC2 and the Second War, which wasn't that long after the First War. The Horde utilized undead Death Knights (orc warlock soul in a dead human knight body) and said DKs could also raise skeletons.

Yeah, but i would imagine that isn't what people are talking about when they say they want "undead" in the movie, especially since there is such a large group of people familiar with WoW but not Warcraft 1+2.
 

FeD.nL

Member
2p uploaded the interview with Anna Galvin (Draka):

On the greyness of the film:

There's no black and white so it is Orc side of villains per se. In fact particularly my character, my relationship with Durotan we’re pretty pivotal in trying to create empathy for the audience, for the Orc. We were striving to be relatable to the audiences. You know there’s good or bad, there's lots of shades of grey, more than 50. It's better than everything. So I think it'll be really good for everyone. With these sort of films maybe not appeal to your eye, but if you love story being well told with heart and I don't know if you've seen any of Duncan's works before. He's so amazing to work with. He is an active director.

On working with Duncan±

Definitely. The scope of the production cause I thought if I am going to do something like this, bigger is better, from what I've seen before but also the story obviously but in whose hands is this story going to be told and it's in great hands. I didn't know what it would be like as an actor to work with. It's a bonus? He makes you feel like you are part of the product team, like everything you have to offer is valuable. If he takes you on board, I want to implement that he does with enthusiasm. He gets down in the mud with you literally and I was collapsing in the scene and I was tripped and fell intentionally and even Orc stumble. He was showing me where it went. He just gets down with you. There's another scene where I am crawling through marshy bog-land type of things and it was marshy and muddy where we were and I was in my elephant grey polyester waxy outfit you probably have seen. So I was all muddy and moistened, really violent and props guy were spraying down with water between rehearsals and tapes. But he just dropped to his names with me and was discussing the right part of what we could do with this. I just love that. I mean you can communicate directly with Duncan. He is so accessible. His vision is clearly to communicated with this.

I like the interviews so far, and for all the CG that may have looked a bit disappointing (stiil in produciton though) they really nailed the look of the world and personally I couldn't be more happy that they stay so true to the source material cause Warcraft deserves it in my opinion.
 

FeD.nL

Member
The interview with Robert Kazinsky (Orgrim) must be the best one yet:

On WoW playtime:
Yes, before we started, I have 473 days played and I was in the world top 100 guild. And we have the ranking system called World of Logs. And World of Logs tracks every boss kill and every movement, everything happens in the game. And for the entirety of Wrath of Lich king expansion I stayed at top 10 of my class for that one. So I used to play about 18 hours a day and there is not really anything about the game I don’t know. And during this film, it’s kind of "YEAH!" It’s "ok I did that".

If I wouldn't do this film, it would have been considered like what would you be doing for 473 days of your life. But now I've done this film, it’s totally cool. It was research, yeah! I knew I can sense one day I would be in this movie. So I thought I got some research in and yes, the game has been a huge part of my life, huge part of my life. I fought very very hard trying to be a part of the film because it means so much.

On the first day on set:
It was an emotional day because there are a few sets I have spent enormous amount of time on in the game. I have done so much, literally, like Stormwind - I spent weeks of my life just running around the throne room, for example, there is just so much stuff that you step onto set. And it's like identical rendering of it. And it's just to see somebody cares so much about something I care so much about. They will be willing to do this. And I'm surrounded by people on this set, like Duncan, Stuart, Travis Fimmel and all these guy play the game and love as much as I do. In fact, these guys are there. And it’s just like - I felt gaming is essentially a solitary thing. If felt nice to be amongst all the solitary people and they come together. You know what I mean? We are sharing something that means so much and I am not ashamed to admit. I did get a little bit emotional on the first set in that throne room. I say there and I couldn’t quite believe where I was and what I was doing. It felt like, "really"? Like after everything I have done in this game, I'm actually here and I manage to be a part of this game. It is beyond the dream come true.

Sitting down with Blizzard:
It was very exciting, you know, Pardo, Metzen and all the guys that make the game. At the first day they were introduced to me, they were like, “so, do you know about Orgrim”? And 25 minutes later of me talking, they realized I did. And it is kind of like, these guy sitting down and talking about “what you've changed about the game” and “the best part of the game” and “the things you love about the game”. Going over like sharing the experience and history we all had with the game. I don’t know if I felt more at home on the set, you know what I mean? This is where I belong. (laughing)

How the franchise could move forward storywise:

And I think the story tells the future what we talk about Kil'jaeden , Illidan, Arthas, any of the stories that come in, even the Defias Brotherhood. It lays a scope and possibility for us to start work as a universe. We could have TV show spin-off just follow the Defias Brotherhood. We can have major movies. The story was in there and one thing that can we played for long was the lore and the history of the game. It’s not written like the game, it’s taken seriously, it's written by really good writers, really intelligent people who instructed to build the storylines, which have caught moderately intelligent people like me involved in the game which is ten years old.

He's really excited to be in the film and the bit in about asking Blizzard for the Warglaives was fun.
 

MattKeil

BIGTIME TV MOGUL #2
Really hope this movie is good, and with that, successful.

If experience is anything to go by, it'll be lucky to break $45 million domestic. It's up against Now You See Me 2, opening the same weekend, which will likely outgross it, and if that doesn't, TMNT 2, then in its second weekend, definitely will. The week following, Finding Dory will crush everything and that'll be that. Their only hope is for it to be a runaway international hit, IMO.
 

FTF

Member
If experience is anything to go by, it'll be lucky to break $45 million domestic. It's up against Now You See Me 2, opening the same weekend, which will likely outgross it, and if that doesn't, TMNT 2, then in its second weekend, definitely will. The week following, Finding Dory will crush everything and that'll be that. Their only hope is for it to be a runaway international hit, IMO.

lol do you mean $45m opening weekend? Because it will obviously gross more than $45m total dom.
 
It's up against Now You See Me 2, opening the same weekend...
No offense to NYSM2 but... Actually, let it be offended, I hated that first film and was shocked to learn they'd made a sequel. I would have thought it would be more afraid of opening next to this movie than the reverse. On the other hand, the trailer does not look good to me-- it looks like the extended opening cinematic to a videogame-- but are you not underestimating the potential of all those WoW players, present and former, going to see it?
 

MattKeil

BIGTIME TV MOGUL #2
lol do you mean $45m opening weekend? Because it will obviously gross more than $45m total dom.

No, I mean $45 million domestic total box office. I don't believe this film has an audience at all.

No offense to NYSM2 but... Actually, let it be offended, I hated that first film and was shocked to learn they'd made a sequel. I would have thought it would be more afraid of opening next to this movie than the reverse.

I am no fan of NYSM (and how the hell do you not call the sequel Now You Don't, anyway?), but the first movie was a notable hit and made $350 million against a $75 million budget. A sequel was inevitable, and will likely perform better than the first, which still managed to pull in $29 million on opening weekend even up against Furious 6. Warcraft is honestly no competition for it.

On the other hand, the trailer does not look good to me-- it looks like the extended opening cinematic to a videogame-- but are you not underestimating the potential of all those WoW players, present and former, going to see it?

I really don't think I am, no. I would argue that the vast, vast majority of the WoW playerbase could not possibly give less of a shit about the story and lore of the game, and have no interest in paying $13-17 to see a movie about it. The built-in audience for this movie is a sliver of a niche. The only way this film makes real money is if they capture the mainstream audience's attention, and that trailer ain't gonna do it. Unless they have an absolute miracle turnaround in the marketing between now and release, this is not going to go well. Again, the overseas market may be a different story, especially in China, but I do not see Warcraft doing well domestically.
 

aerts1js

Member
lol do you mean $45m opening weekend? Because it will obviously gross more than $45m total dom.

That's not too far fetched, maybe a bit low though. I think it'll get to about 60 million domestic. I mean.. look at this thread. It's on a videogame forum but only gets a few replies after each update.
 

Finaj

Member
I mean, given the story leaks, it seems as though it will be very faithful to the original Warcraft game. It was pretty clear in the first trailer that they were trying to avoid spoilers. Unfortunately, the spoilers are the most interesting part of the story :p
 

FeD.nL

Member
No, I mean $45 million domestic total box office. I don't believe this film has an audience at all.



I am no fan of NYSM (and how the hell do you not call the sequel Now You Don't, anyway?), but the first movie was a notable hit and made $350 million against a $75 million budget. A sequel was inevitable, and will likely perform better than the first, which still managed to pull in $29 million on opening weekend even up against Furious 6. Warcraft is honestly no competition for it.



I really don't think I am, no. I would argue that the vast, vast majority of the WoW playerbase could not possibly give less of a shit about the story and lore of the game, and have no interest in paying $13-17 to see a movie about it. The built-in audience for this movie is a sliver of a niche. The only way this film makes real money is if they capture the mainstream audience's attention, and that trailer ain't gonna do it. Unless they have an absolute miracle turnaround in the marketing between now and release, this is not going to go well. Again, the overseas market may be a different story, especially in China, but I do not see Warcraft doing well domestically.

I don't agree.

Firstly the Warcraft brand recognition is probably higher at this point in time than it was 10 years ago because of Hearthstone which managed to capture a wider audience than WoW. Furthermore IMDB just released their list of most anticipated films which they measure using clicks and Warcraft is on #6. Finally it's releasing near the end of GoT S6 so interest in fantasy will be higher that period of the year.

I agree the first trailer was very by the numbers. But it makes sense for selling it to a bigger audience, "epic" music, some battle scenes, lay out some motivation for the characters. I can definitely see this film doing better than Pacific Rim and end up with $125m-$175m domestic and $375m-$500m in the rest of the world, I really think it will at the very least make $500m WW.
 

Arkeband

Banned
No, I mean $45 million domestic total box office. I don't believe this film has an audience at all.



I am no fan of NYSM (and how the hell do you not call the sequel Now You Don't, anyway?), but the first movie was a notable hit and made $350 million against a $75 million budget. A sequel was inevitable, and will likely perform better than the first, which still managed to pull in $29 million on opening weekend even up against Furious 6. Warcraft is honestly no competition for it.



I really don't think I am, no. I would argue that the vast, vast majority of the WoW playerbase could not possibly give less of a shit about the story and lore of the game, and have no interest in paying $13-17 to see a movie about it. The built-in audience for this movie is a sliver of a niche. The only way this film makes real money is if they capture the mainstream audience's attention, and that trailer ain't gonna do it. Unless they have an absolute miracle turnaround in the marketing between now and release, this is not going to go well. Again, the overseas market may be a different story, especially in China, but I do not see Warcraft doing well domestically.

You're underestimating the American public's adoration for shitty summer blockbusters.

Let's just pick two shitty throwaway action movies:

I, Frankenstein made 19 million domestic. Released in January.

Snow White and the Huntsman made 155 million domestic. Released in June.

You think Warcraft, which has been synonymous with addictive computer gaming for the past decade-plus, and is being released in the summer blockbuster window is going to gross closer to I, Frankenstein? You think it will gross less than a third of Snow White and the Huntsman?

I think you're fooling yourself. It might be a critical flop, but that's rarely an indicator for financial success, if Transformers: Age of Extinction, preceded by two shit entries and plunging critic scores, can gross 245 million.
 

Loxley

Member
Warcraft will definitely have to benefit from good word-of-mouth, it comes out the week after the new TMNT, the week before Finding Dory and two weeks before Independence Day 2 - but who the hell knows how well Independence Day will do without Will Smith. Finding Dory and TMNT obviously have a larger appeal to little kids, so there's not a lot of demographic crossover there, but ID4 seems to be more direct competition for the 18-35 male crowd.

That's not too far fetched, maybe a bit low though. I think it'll get to about 60 million domestic. I mean.. look at this thread. It's on a videogame forum but only gets a few replies after each update.

That speaks more to where we are in terms of film adaptions of video games. The Assassin's Creed movie is being treated with much of the same disinterest as Warcraft (despite having a lot of great talent involved, same as Warcraft). Once movies based on games really start to find their footing and become genuinely decent movies, more people will start to care about them.
 

Loxley

Member
Also, we need some damn gifs up in this thread.

pfSYiYx.gif


TjzNVRT.gif


jR3crQi.gif


qzYp3Tv.gif


Not a gif, just Orgrim lookin' awesome:

AQpah0p.jpg
 

The Victorian

Neo Member
I will see this film for no other reason than because I had a (very, very tiny) role in making it. Specifically, I used to work for a company that made chainmail supplies, and I helped assemble some of the mail shirts and horse armour used in the movie.
 

Aureon

Please do not let me serve on a jury. I am actually a crazy person.
Honestly, people thinking of TMNT as having a bigger audience than Warcraft are in for a rough surprise.
Especially because a lot of people that know about warcraft are a shitton about it.
 

deleted

Member
Looking at the last shot in the Loxely post it looks like they nailed the look of the architecture too.

I'm pretty excited for this movie. I hope it does well enough, but it seems like a gamble with the releases around it.
NYSM2 will be the most uninspired big budget movie since NYSM - guaranteed. Hopefully the audience catches this twist this time.
 

liquidtmd

Banned
Honestly, people thinking of TMNT as having a bigger audience than Warcraft are in for a rough surprise.
Especially because a lot of people that know about warcraft are a shitton about it.

But its Brand Recognition.

It looks visually very good to me but I know Warcraft. I'd forgive the outside world looking in who view it as generic looking fantasy guff.

I don't care what is said about how many people play Warcraft in terms of subscription - that means squat when we're taking global box office.

Its got a mountain to climb and word of mouth is going to have to be exceptional.
 
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