Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

[Mar 05, 2013, 9:54 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Ain't it Cool News points to an interview on Vulture where Sam Raimi discusses the Warcraft/World of Warcraft film he was once set to direct before leaving the project (thanks Cliff). Here's his explanation of what went wrong:

Robert Rodat was working on the script, and it was taking a long time. I think they were getting a little antsy at Legendary, the production company. Actually, what happened was even more complicated, so let me go back a little bit. First, they asked me if I wanted to make it, and I said, "Yes, I love World of Warcraft, and I think it would make a great picture." So I read a screenplay they had that was written by the guys at [Warcraft developer] Blizzard, and it didn't quite work for me. I told them I wanted to make my own original story with Robert, so we pitched it to Legendary and they accepted it, and then we pitched it to Blizzard, and they had reservations, but they accepted it. Then Robert wrote the screenplay, and only once he was done did we realize that Blizzard had veto power, and we didn't know that. And they had never quite approved the original story we pitched them. Those reservations were their way of saying, "We don't approve this story, and we want to go a different way," so after we had spent nine months working on this thing, we basically had to start over. And Robert did start over, but it was taking too long for the people at Blizzard, and their patience ran out. Honestly, I think it was mismanagement on their behalf, not to explain to us that the first story was vetoed long ago. Why did they let us keep working on it? Were they afraid to tell me?

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17.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 22:16

.net_Drifter

nin wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 09:11: SXO wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 08:55: jdreyer wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 02:42: .net_Drifter wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 00:46: Raimi: I found out it wasn't my way or the highway, and whoops . . . that was that. Before Spiderman 3, I might have thought it was a dick move by Blizzard. After watching Spiderman 3, however . . . I'd have reservations about any screenplay he wrote about any property that wasn't his own, too. Spiderman 3 wasn't all his fault. The studio forced him to add Venom, which really screwed up his original script. Who forced him to add the dance routine? That right there is the million dollar question. I almost walked out of the theater. The dance scene at least got a laugh out of me, if nothing else. As for Venom, well if Sandman was his first choice, I kind of see why they wanted to shoehorn Venom into the movie. Opinions might vary, but personally I always saw Sandman as a throw away villain. Even Kraven the Hunter would have been a better villain than just Sandman.

16.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 19:25

D_K_night

sounded like more like, he wanted to make world of warcraft, but his own interpretation of it, which probably ended up completely unlike the universe of Azeroth. Or why else would Blizzard be gunshy? They don't care if you make a great movie. They would care, if what you have in mind is so out there that it doesn't even begin to resemble the source material. Or maybe Blizzard really is in the wrong. There's just so much that's not being said here. What was the script like? Show us...just something.

15.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 12:26

Creston

Coming soon: A young accountant and his girl are thrown into Azeroth, where they embark on a noble quest to bring together the Horde and the Alliance, and teach them of the remarkable joys of the Real Money Auction House. Starring James McEvoy as Clint, and Hayden Panetierre as his sassy cheerleader girlfriend. (Actually, I'd go watch it just for that last bit.) Creston

14.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 09:11

nin

SXO wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 08:55:
jdreyer wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 02:42:
.net_Drifter wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 00:46:
Raimi: I found out it wasn't my way or the highway, and whoops . . . that was that.

Before Spiderman 3, I might have thought it was a dick move by Blizzard.
After watching Spiderman 3, however . . . I'd have reservations about any screenplay he wrote about any property that wasn't his own, too.

Spiderman 3 wasn't all his fault. The studio forced him to add Venom, which really screwed up his original script.
Who forced him to add the dance routine?

That right there is the million dollar question. I almost walked out of the theater.




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

13.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 08:55

SXO

jdreyer wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 02:42: .net_Drifter wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 00:46: Raimi: I found out it wasn't my way or the highway, and whoops . . . that was that. Before Spiderman 3, I might have thought it was a dick move by Blizzard. After watching Spiderman 3, however . . . I'd have reservations about any screenplay he wrote about any property that wasn't his own, too. Spiderman 3 wasn't all his fault. The studio forced him to add Venom, which really screwed up his original script. Who forced him to add the dance routine?

12.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 04:52

Scheherazade

"I told them I wanted to make my own original story" Translated "I wanted to do something other than warcraft and just call it warcraft... as is standard practice for ~all video game movies" And Blizzard said "Uum. Yeah, that's not exactly the direction we wanted to go..." I know movie maker's don't want people to re-hash what they already know from playing the game... But people going to the movies to see a movie named after a game, they expect the movie to actually BE in the same universe as the game. If you can't make the movie about the thing you're naming it after, just get an unrelated name to match your unrelated movie. -scheherazade

11.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 02:48

Cutter

A live action film of WoW is just another in the long sad history of bad ideas. Should have just done a CGI flick....5 years ago.




"Peter, breakfast for dinner is anarchy!" - Lois

10.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 02:42

jdreyer

.net_Drifter wrote on Mar 6, 2013, 00:46:
Raimi: I found out it wasn't my way or the highway, and whoops . . . that was that.

Before Spiderman 3, I might have thought it was a dick move by Blizzard.
After watching Spiderman 3, however . . . I'd have reservations about any screenplay he wrote about any property that wasn't his own, too.

Spiderman 3 wasn't all his fault. The studio forced him to add Venom, which really screwed up his original script.




Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 01:21

NewMaxx

I'll link it again: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/04/halo-movie-generation-xbox/ “To sell a movie into a studio and actually get it made is a lot of work,” he says. “It takes a lot of conversations and a lot of pixie dust being thrown about while you’re getting the deals done. In the games industry, they’re technologists and they’re data driven. They’re looking at data points and saying: ‘We need the movie to be made, it’s got to be this, this and this. If you get A, B and C to be part of the movie, then great we’ll sell you the rights.’ You can’t do that.” But, if that’s what Microsoft wanted, CAA was willing to try. Fundamental differences between how the industries are run is the real problem.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 00:46

.net_Drifter

Raimi: I found out it wasn't my way or the highway, and whoops . . . that was that. Before Spiderman 3, I might have thought it was a dick move by Blizzard. After watching Spiderman 3, however . . . I'd have reservations about any screenplay he wrote about any property that wasn't his own, too.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 00:16

El Pit

Actually, ActiBlizz had more than one story idea

WoW: The Grind
3 movies (4 hrs each) about grinding for one single item

WoW: Botting
A 90 min movie about /follow bots

WoW: Adventures in a RMAH
A 3 hrs movie about selling and buying items (possible: WoW: The Grind and WoW: Botting as prequels!)

Sam, can't you see the ActiBlizz guys struck GOLD?!




Consoles? I owned two: a Pong clone and an Atari 2600. And that's it.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 6, 2013, 00:11

bigspender

pretty sure anything from hollywood would about as good as that battleship movie, except with elves




_________________________________________________ Adults are just children that are allowed to make their own decisions.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 5, 2013, 23:42

siapnar

That sounds like a dick move on Blizzard's behalf.

Robert Rodat I'm sure can do a pretty good job




I have projectile dysfunction.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 5, 2013, 23:41

Wallshadows

I bet Raimi didn't want to have Thrall as one of the main stars and Chris Metzen pushed for immediate veto powers. Then something, something nine months later gtfo.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 5, 2013, 22:03

jdreyer

Yeah, that's messed up.

Coincidentally, Sam's Oz movie comes out this Friday.




Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 5, 2013, 22:03

mag

Blizzard sucks version: They couldn't figure out how to fit the RMAH or always-online into a movie. Hollywood sucks version: Raimi and the other guy probably wrote a movie about an American kid named John that had to fight aliens that looked like orcs and elves.

Re: Sam Raimi on the Warcraft Film

Mar 5, 2013, 21:23

nin

Wait wait wait...is he saying there's miscommunication? At Blizzard?!?




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

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