BASED on the popular video game series, Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures bring to the big screen “Warcraft: The Beginning,” an epic adventure where the worlds of humans and the orcs collide.
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.
The human realm is ruled by King Llane (Dominic Cooper) and his queen, Lady Taria (Ruth Negga), both benevolent monarchs who reside in the resplendent, peaceful city of Stormwind. On another side of the multiverse, Draenor serves as the home world to a race known as orc—a proud, savage people who have never known a life without war and strife.
Since its inception in 1994, more than 100 million players have experienced the dazzling and compelling mythology that is the global phenomenon known as “World of Warcraft.”
The second and third editions, “Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness” and “Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos,” further stoked fascination and imagination in its players, as did the best-selling novels and other popular merchandise.
The producers began discussions about bringing the property to the big screen. The challenge was not only to be faithful to countless legions of fans throughout the world but also to provide a riveting narrative for audiences unfamiliar with these fantastical environments and characters.
Ultimately, they chose to return to the very beginning of the “Warcraft” saga and focus the creation on two contrasting worlds: Azeroth, beautiful and serene, and Draenor, a dying planet whose inhabitants face extinction—as well as the odyssey of two heroes on opposing sides whose fates were drawn together by destiny.
Director Duncan Jones, a devout gamer of “World of Warcraft” for many years, said he was very excited about the prospect of a “Warcraft” film long before he was considered to direct it.
“If you’re a player of the game, you know that part of its appeal is that you can be a hero, no matter what side you’re on,” he said. “So my pitch was that the film should mirror that; it should be a war movie, one which shows the heroes on both sides and treats them with equal respect.”
“Warcraft: The Beginning” is now showing in theaters nationwide.