After years of being stuck in development it appears as if Legendary Pictures is finally moving forward with Warcraft, their adaptation of the hit Blizzard video game World Of Warcraft.
Deadline is reporting that casting has begun on the project with an offer for a lead role having been extended to Colin Farrell and actress Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol) already in negotiations for another lead. Deadline’s report states that Farrell has not yet accepted the offered role and that he is “50/50” on taking on the project. Additionally, it is being reported that director Duncan Jones is testing other actors for other key roles with an eye towards having cameras roll in January.
Legendary has had the project in development for a number of years. In 2009 they hired Saving Private Ryan screenwriter Robert Rodat to script the project and then attached Sam Raimi to direct. Raimi dropped out in order to direct Oz, The Great And Powerful and was replaced with Moon-director Duncan Jones brought in. Along the way, Charles Leavitt revised Rodat’s original screenplay.
I have to wonder if the time for a World Of Warcraft movie has passed, though. Last year it was reported that the online game’s subscriber numbers had been declining. As the fanbase for the game goes away would their disinterest in the game translate into disinterest for a film version of the game?
