After transcribing the full BlizzCon 2013 Warcraft Movie Presentation Panel, I decided to summarize and gather the soul of the panel in a nutshell for you guys to learn everything that needs to be learned about the Warcraft movie.

Duncan wishes to develop a Warcraft movie based on his view as a player of the game. He wants to go to the roots of what the original Warcraft was, which is you can be a hero no matter what side you are on; and it is about both sides. It’s gotta be red and blue. Horde and Alliance. Not just from the point of view of the Alliance as the original movie script was.

Another interesting thing that spun out of this panel is that Duncan Jones is hoping to have a preview of the Warcraft film by BlizzCon 2014. If that is not awesome news, then how about the fact Rob Pardo and Duncan Jones mentioned “Next Year’s BlizzCon”? After reading the details in a nutshell below, you may read our entire panel transcript here.

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Film Details

  • Orcs will be real actors, emotive as much as any human character.
  • There is a scene in the Lion’s Pride Inn (Goldshire)
  • Concept Art shows: Dalaran, Draenor, Iron Forge, Stormwind.
  • Many Blizzard Artists, including Wei Wang, contributed an estimated 4,000 pieces of concept art for the film.
  • The past six months (June-Nov 2013) has been focused on pre-production design.
  • Half the cast is live-action actors and the other half are motion-capture technology based actors.
  • Real costumes will be crafted for the actors performing with motion-capture technology to have photographic references for the animations.
  • Nick Carpenter and Blizzard Cinematics team are working with Duncan Jones (Film Director) and Bill Westenhoffer (VFX Supervisor).
  • The orcs will really act and have personalities.
  • The Costume designers will create full-size casts to build the real Blizzard-style costumes.
  • Motion-Capture technology has been used in Planet of the Apes, Avatar, and The Avengers.
  • The team working on the Warcraft film was the same who worked on the film THE HULK.
  • The team is creating a duplicate of Elwynn Forest. The trees will be created as physical props capturing their size and distribution across the landscape too.
  • Bill Westenhofer and Nick Carpenter plan to add easter eggs found in-game into the Warcraft film.
  • Legendary and Blizzard have worked in collaboration to make this film.
  • The film will be set during the First War, during Warcraft I: Orcs and Humans (1994).
  • The lead characters are Sir Anduin Lothar and Durotan of the Frostwolf clan.
  • Duncan hasn’t been able to find an actor to play as Durotan.
  • Lothar and Durotan represent the highest ideals for each of both races.
  • The film will be done from the point of view of the humans and the orcs. Equally. Both races are heroes.
  • Durotan did never show up in the first Warcraft game. Was added to the lore later. The film will be like the Ultimate Spider-Man line reintroducing the Ultimate Warcraft classic story.
  • Duncan Jones hopes to break barriers introducing a War movie told from the point of view of both sides. A unusual structure for a movie.
  • Duncan teased whether the film and Warlords of Draenor tie-in somehow or not.
  • Bill Westenhoffer compares the Warcraft movie with Gladiator (2000). Actors will get dirty, covered in grime.
  • The music of the film has to be true to the music of the game and the environment soundtracks.
  • The swords that are being built are the biggest swords that a human can wield.
  • The production of the film is being documented as it progresses. Photos and video taken. Duncan would love to see a “The Making of” Art Book or Behind-the-Scenes DVD. No plans yet.
  • If the film works out they would be excited to continue the story. Trilogy isn’t ruled out. Metzen teases many trilogies if they put their mind to it.
  • The Production Team is pushing to include strong female lead roles.
  • If the Warcraft movie succeeds Blizzard hopes to have TV studios knocking their door to launch a Warcraft TV series like Game of Thrones.
  • Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson inspired Duncan Jones to wish to direct a fantasy movie.
  • Duncan thinks Peter Jackson has really set the bar as to what fantasy needs to be and anything the Warcraft movie team does has to match or beat that.
  • Duncan would like to have the Warcraft movie available in 2D and 3D so that fans choose which version to watch.
  • The Warcraft movie will be PG-13, but explains they can get their way with strong content with that rating, citing the Joker’s pencil scene in The Dark Knight was … PG-13.
  • During the Q&A a fan cited Avatar, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones had in common the development of linguistics for some races. Duncan Jones confirmed they have a linguistics team member who worked on some of those movies developing orcish language for the Warcraft movie.

Production Team Revealed

During the BlizzCon 2013 Warcraft Movie panel, Duncan Jones and Bill Westenhoffer revealed some of the team members in the Warcraft film production.

  • Gavin Bocquet: Production Designer for Star Wars: Episode I, II, III

  • Mayes C. Rubeo: Costume Designer for Avatar, World War Z, John Carter, Apocalypto, Dragonball: Evolution.

  • Paul Hirsh: Filming Editor for Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol (2011), Source Code (2011), Won an Oscar for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Footloose (1984), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Carrie (1976), Phantom of the Paradise (1974).

  • Alex Gartner: Producer of Season of the Witch (2011), DC Comics The Flash (2016). Get Smart (2008)

  • Simon Duggan: Cinematographer for 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), The Great Gatsby (2013), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), I, Robot (2004)