Like many other films based on video games, Warcraft ended up being a bit of a disappoint to gaming fans. Furthermore, if you were to watch the movie without knowing anything about the series, you’d have a terrible time trying to make heads or tails of the motivations for the many races in Azeroth. Of course, none of this has stopped fans from campaigning for Travis Fimmel’s return in a Warcraft 2 movie. But is it too late for a sequel?
The Possibility Of Warcraft 2
Almost every gamer seems to have a story involving World of Warcraft in some way or another. Even if you’ve never set foot in Azeroth, cultural osmosis decrees that you’ve at least been exposed to the imagery of orcs clashing against knights in giant, flashy armour. Perhaps due to its massive popularity with gamers, and since the fantasy epic genre has proved successful in cinemas countless times before, Legendary Pictures thought bringing Warcraft to movie theatres in 2016 would be a great idea. As it turns out, it wasn’t.
Against all odds, rumours have been circulating about the possibility of a Warcraft 2 movie (possibly bringing back Travis Fimmel). Since the original film was announced in 2006 and wasn’t released until a decade later, it might still be some time before we see any sort of Warcraft 2 movie being made. However, before we get to that point, some issues with the first film need to be resolved if there’s any hope for Warcraft to become a movie franchise.
Some sequels can come back from disappointing first movies; one of the best examples is 2013’s The Wolverine, which fixed almost every terrible decision made in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, in the case of a hypothetical Warcraft 2 movie, perhaps starting the franchise all over might be the best route for the studio.
There’s so little material to build upon from the first Warcraft film that fans wouldn’t be bothered by a Warcraft 2 movie that completely ignores the events of the 2016 flick.
Drawing Inspiration From A Rich Fantasy Game World
The best part about Warcraft is that the producers have a vast fantasy world from which to draw inspiration. If the latest rumours are to be believed, Legendary seems to be aiming towards a soft reboot with the Warcraft 2 movie. Perhaps we’ll see more of Azeroth and its many civilizations in the potential sequel, or maybe we’ll get to see older versions of the characters from the first film.
When it comes to video game movie adaptations, a name that makes even the most loyal fanboys tremble is Paul W. S. Anderson. Better known for his work in the Resident Evil film series and 1995’s Mortal Kombat, Anderson has made a career bringing video games to the big screen, to generally unfavourable reviews.
Anderson’s style of filmmaking usually devolves into campiness quite fast — and there’s nothing wrong with action schlock from time to time, but it usually makes his video game adaptations feel even cheaper as a result. Whoever is at the helm of the Warcraft 2 movie would need to make the films feel like a fantasy/adventure movie inspired by a video game, not a straight adaptation of the source material — mostly because that’s never worked before.
Looking Forward To The Future
If Duncan Jones, who directed the first film and the outstanding 2009 sci-fi film Moon, ends up in the director’s chair for the Warcraft 2 movie, perhaps we might get a better look at his vision for what the cinematic version of Azeroth was like. And, who knows, we might be getting another The Lord of the Rings trilogy based on the myths and legends of Warcraft sometime in the future.
RELATED: The Warcraft Franchise Could Continue As A TV Series
Tell us, do you want a Warcraft 2 movie? Should Travis Fimmel return for the Warcraft sequel?
Warcraft (film) |
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As an Orc horde invades the planet Azeroth using a magic portal, a few human heroes and dissenting Orcs must attempt to stop the true evil behind this war. |
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| Studio: Legendary Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment |
| Running Time: 123 minutes |
| Release Date: June 10, 2016 |
| Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Daniel Wu |
| Director: Duncan Jones |
| Writers: Charles Leavitt, Duncan Jones |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| Box Office: $439.1 million |
