Sam Raimi

It's been a very (very) long time since we've heard anything about the planned Warcraft movie (by my count, nobody's said much since BlizzCon 2007)- but Blizzard are breaking their silence with some pretty exciting news.

The first big name has now been officially attached to the project with Sam Raimi signing on as director. He's perhaps best known recently for directing the Spider-Man trilogy, but older film buffs will remember him fondly as the writer and director of cult classic The Evil Dead. It'll be interesting to see what he brings to Azeroth!

He seems pretty pleased with the decision:

"At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story. I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen."

Two years ago, we reported that Legendary Pictures were looking to produce the film, and that looks to still be the case, with Charles Roven apparently onboard (his most recent production project was The Dark Knight which made a bucketload of money, was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two).

Roven will be working with Alex Gartner and Legendary's CEO [Thomus Tull and Legendary's Chief Creative Officer Jon Jashni (who's been involved in the project from the beginning), as well as Raimi and his usual producing partner Joshua Donen. Another of Raimi's cronies, Robert Tapert (from Renaissance Pictures, the company behind Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess) will be Executive Producer, and Blizzard's Senior Vice President of Creative Development, Chris Metzen steps into the role of Co-Producer.


Thomas Tull, Paul Sams and Chris Metzen at BlizzCon 2007
Still with us? Legendary's CEO Tull comments that:

"Partnering with Sam Raimi exemplifies Legendary's mandate of marrying the highest quality intellectual property to world-class filmmakers. Sam's passion for 'Warcraft' is undeniable and we know that he will create an incredible film worthy of Blizzard's phenomenal franchise. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Warner Bros. and continuing our successful relationship with Chuck in bringing this rich new world to the screen."

Blizzard Chief Operating Officer Paul Sams chimes in too:

"Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have a shared vision for this film and we searched at length to find the very best director to bring that vision to life. From our first conversation with Sam, we could tell he was the perfect choice. Sam knows how to simultaneously satisfy the enthusiasts and the mainstream audience that might be experiencing that content for the first time. We're looking forward to working with him to achieve that here."

Charles Roven is also pleased:

"Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft has become a second home for millions of players and Sam's experience and talent make him the perfect director for this remarkable and action-packed world. Alex and I are proud to be working with Sam and re-teaming with our friends at Legendary and Warner Bros."

WarCraft storyboard art

Conveniently, the film will slot neatly into the Legendary Pictures co-production / co-financing deal with Warner Bros., and Jeff Robinov, president of the WB Pictures Group is very happy to be involved: "Warcraft is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which our studio is best known. We have enjoyed great success with our partners at Legendary, and this is an incredible opportunity for us to work with Sam on a project that is so eagerly anticipated by so many."

The announcement, while seemingly out of the blue, comes just before Comic-Con San Diego this weekend, and a month before Blizzard's own BlizzCon. Further details (including cast and the targeted release date) will be revealed as time passes - presumably we won't have to wait quite so long to hear more.