Sam Raimi To Direct Warcraft Movie

Blizzard is teaming up with Legendary Pictures and Sam Raimi to produce a movie based on World of Warcraft. Raimi, known for the Spider-Man trilogy as well as the cult classic The Evil Dead, will direct. Charles Roven -- director of last-summer's blockbuster The Dark Knight -- will produce.

"At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story, " Raimi said. "I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen." Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull agrees: "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 Entertainment chief operating officer, Paul Sams: "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."

Blizzard Entertainment first brought us the Warcraft universe in 1994. A setting rich in fantasy with epic battles, it features two warring factions, the Alliance and the Horde -- and lots of magic, swords, demons, dragons, elves, orcs, dwarves, and trolls. Over the years the world has become a juggernaut expanding to include award-winning games for the PC and Mac, action figures, comics, novels, board games, and more.

But when most GWCers think Warcraft, we think WoW: the most popular massive multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft. WoW is set in the Warcraft universe, with a base of subscribers reflecting numbers comparable to some of the largest cities in the world. WoW's most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, was the fastest selling PC game of all time, selling more than 2.8 million copies in its first 24 hours -- and more than 4 million in its first month.

As you might expect, Warcraft fans are buzzing with excitement about the idea of a movie. An Alliance player from World of Warcraft, Samayael of the Dragonblight server, said it best when he heard the announcement: "Oh frak yeah!"

Warcraft isn't Lord of the Rings, but it is fantasy of the highest order. It's a vast and complex universe with far more detail than your average video game. I'm excited to see it!

Warcraft Movie [Warcraft Movie Chronicles]