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BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT AND LEGENDARY PICTURES
TO PRODUCE LIVE-ACTION WARCRAFT MOVIE
Fantasy game franchise played by millions worldwide to become major motion
picture
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IRVINE, Calif. -- May 9, 2006 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and
Legendary Pictures today announced that they have entered into an agreement to
develop a live-action film based on Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning
Warcraft universe. Based on the terms of the agreement, Legendary Pictures has
acquired the movie rights for the best-selling game universe, and both companies
are now focused on translating the high-quality Warcraft entertainment
experience to the big screen.
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“We searched for a very long time to find the right studio for developing
a movie based on one of our game universes,” said Paul Sams, chief operating
officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “Many companies approached us in the past,
but it wasn't until we met with Legendary Pictures that we felt we’d found the
perfect partner. They clearly share our high standards for creative development,
and because they understand the vision that we’ve always strived for with our
Warcraft games, we feel there isn't a better studio out there for bringing the
Warcraft story to film.”
“One of our goals at Legendary Pictures has been to bring heroic stories
to life in groundbreaking ways, and it’s inspiring to work with a company such
as Blizzard that takes that approach with each of its products,” stated
Legendary Pictures chairman and CEO Thomas Tull. “The Warcraft universe is
possessed of such a rich mythology and, as such, serves as an ideal platform as
we go about translating that universe into what we intend to be a major event
film.”
Blizzard’s Warcraft games have developed a loyal following since the series
debuted in 1994. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, released in 1995, won multiple
Game of the Year awards and is still considered one of the best games ever made,
and Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos broke multiple sales records when it launched
in 2002. World of Warcraft, Blizzard’s latest entry in the critically acclaimed
franchise, has quickly become one of the world’s most popular online games, with
more than 6 million paying customers worldwide.
“From our first Warcraft game to our latest novels, our intention has
always been to develop a rich fantasy universe that could support stories and
products in many forms,” stated Chris Metzen, Blizzard Entertainment’s vice
president of creative development. “In addition to being a truly rewarding
experience for us, the creation of this motion picture also feels like a natural
next step for the Warcraft universe.”
“It’s not always the case that interactive game properties lend themselves
to proper adaptation to film,” said Jon Jashni, Legendary Pictures’ chief
creative officer. “We are intending to approach this as we would the
adaptation of a best-selling novel: respect the essence of all that it is but
also build upon that fertile base while translating it into a new medium.”
Further details about the upcoming Warcraft movie, including director, cast,
and targeted release date, will be revealed in the months ahead.
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