Duncan Jones talks Warcraft’s story between Orcs and humans; franchise hopes

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We are more than a year away from WARCRAFT, Duncan Jones’ anticipated video game adaptation, and so far we don't know a too much about it. We know it’s going to be huge and that hopes are going to be very high considering the well-known material within certain circles. The movie wrapped production last year and now post work is being done including visual effects by ILM. Jones recently spoke about the film and the focus that will be on the first contact between humans and orcs as well as his hopes to start a franchise with this film.

Speaking with Chinese movie site (note some translation issues) Mtime, Jones revealed how the massive movie will open:

From the moment I first talked to Blizzard, the plan was to start our film with the first time Orcs met Humans.  First contact!  I think that for a world with so much newness to explain, this was a wise choice, especially when so many people in our audience may not know anything about Warcraft… it was important that some of our characters would be seeing the world fresh as well, and that the audience could see the situation through their eyes.

The most exciting bit of news I think is regarding the effects – Jones said that Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhoffer (LIFE OF PI) and ILM’s Jeff White (worked on Hulk in THE AVENGERS) are all heading up the team. Also, composer Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, PACIFIC RIM) is currently working on the score! So needless to say, it should look and sound awesome.

As for WARCRAFT’s future, Jones is hopeful to start a franchise:

Peter Jackson did a magnificent job of ‘setting the table’ for Tolkein’s universe with his first Lord of the Rings film.  I know that my job in this first film is to establish certain characters, places and culture while telling a story that a broad audience can be excited by! Hopefully, if I have done my job right, people will want to know and see more!  There is certainly plenty more to tell!  …I would love to be part of that process of expanding on the lore that makes up Warcraft, but it will all depend on what you, the audience, think of our first film!

It sounds like he’s going in with a vision of not just his work but for the future as well. I hope we get to see some more cool stuff from this ambitious project; I was never a fan of the game, but I love a great new world epic as much as the next person. I hope for Jones’ sake that he can find a broad audience who will want to watch this adaptation. Jones’ has two successes under his belt with MOON and SOURCE CODE; the latter I didn’t care much for but MOON was awesome, worth checking out if you’re new to Mr. Jones.

WARCRAFT will open in theaters on March 11, 2016.