How the ‘Warcraft’ Movie Failed
The makers of the Warcraft movie did everything right. They tapped a video game universe with an immense collection of lore and backstories as source material. Director Duncan Jones had indie cred, a commercial and critical hit in Source Code, and a verifiable history of love for the games he was drawing from. His actors were intriguing performers who had shown great potential in other roles. Dean Redman, who plays Varis, said Jones helped the actors see their characters’ motivations and goals, and then gave them the freedom to express it in the best possible way. The film used special effects juggernaut Industrial Light & Magic to create its fantasy, and the results were, in fact, magical: the animation of its orcs and gryphons, the hazy tendrils of light cast by its spells, all dazzle.
But the end result was not a glittering shower of critical acclaim. Rather, reviews have globally panned the film, which drew just $24.1 million in U.S. ticket sales during its opening weekend. Given that it’s breaking records overseas – most notably in China, where it grossed $156 million in five days alone – a sequel still seems possible. But at press time, Warcraft has a 30% Rotten Tomatoes score, a splat on anyone’s scale.
So if the makers of Warcraft got everything right, how did the reviews go so wrong – and why haven’t we had a critically acclaimed video game movie yet? The answer may lie in the single most important character any video game film has yet to cast: you, the player.
Duncan Jones, in his gentle manner, suggests that critics perhaps weren’t open to the narrative structure he chose, which casts both sides of the humans-versus-orcs conflict as sympathetic. That approach is core to the Warcraft games, where players must feel some kinship with the characters they play on both sides of the divide.
“I was playing this game since the first week it came out,” he said, describing it as a “big, epic world.”
“I would be devastated if the fans didn’t like it,” he said. “But the fans do love it. People who are open to it have loved it as well.”
That commitment to fan service is evident in every scene. The film faithfully reproduces settings, creatures, spells, dialogue and designs from the games in a way that mesmerises true believers, essentially creating the world’s longest, most beautiful, best-acted World of Warcraft cinematic.
The film’s producers were keeping an eye on the grosses at the premiere, but seemed generally upbeat.
“We made a movie for the fans,” producer Stuart Fenegan said. He and Jones collaborated on Source Code before diving into orc mythology. The pair head to Berlin next to film their sci-fi version of Casablanca, called Mute. “Duncan and I are fans ourselves. The fan response has been huge, and that is the most important thing.”
Blizzard’s executives were clearly floating during the premiere, and their employees described the event as a surreal experience. Two of the company’s founders paused to chat on the black carpet about the night.
“I imagined the carpet would be red,” Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce remarked.
“I figured we’d be sitting in the theater by now,” said president Mike Morhaime.
But both said they were happy with the results. The film has played well among fans, and that’s what matters, Pearce said. “That’s who this movie was made for.”
“People need to be open to the fact that it’s a unique world,” producer Alex Gartner said. “We need to do it justice.”
“But it’s important that you can enjoy this world whether you play it or not,” producer Charles Roven interjected. He said for a sequel to happen, “Things have to go well.”
“But it would be a pleasure,” Gartner said.
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