While the name implies a strict connection to a certain popular print medium, Comic-Con has become about far more over the years. From television to movies to gaming, the focus has shifted to a more all-inclusive celebration of all things entertainment. This year in particular has seen a significant increase in the link between games and film. One of those such instances is Duncan Jones' eagerly-awaited Warcraft film.
Set against the backdrop of the conflict between humans and orcs, Warcraft delves into the lore of the popular RTS series as well as MMO juggernaut World of Warcraft. Having become almost synonymous with the term fantasy within the gaming industry, the Warcraft franchise plays host to countless beautiful locales, intriguing races and fearsome weapons.
While the movie is still well over a year from release, production company Legendary Pictures has provided Comic-Con attendees with their first look at three of the weapons that will be cropping up within the film. Posted to SlashFilm, the images give gamers a glimpse at Legendary's booth on the show floor. Housed within are an Alliance sword and shield but perhaps most exciting is the inclusion of the Horde mainstay, Doomhammer.
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For gamers who have spent any amount of time adventuring through the land of Azeroth, these weapons should be instantly recognizable, if only in style. While detailed weaponry does not directly make for a strong film, it's evident that a great amount of care has gone into crafting weapons that not only adhere to the series' deep lore, but also look the part. Accompanying the display at Comic-Con, Legendary also provided the following brief descriptions of the weapons:
- Doomhammer: A savage orc weapon unleashed in the name of the Horde.
- Dragon Sword: This gleaming blade is wielded in the name of the Alliance.
- Lion Shield: Symbol of the strength of Azeroth.
Whether you're a member of the Horde at heart or willing to take up arms for the Alliance, this first — and definitely not last — glimpse at Warcraft from Comic-Con has succeeded in revving up the engines of the hype train that will no doubt accompany this project over the coming year. Given director and writer Duncan Jones' past successes with Moon and Source Code, it seems entirely within reason to believe that he could pull out a success with Blizzard's iconic property.
With other high-profile games like Thief and The Last of Us making their way to the silver screen, there's a mixed sense of fear and excitement permeating the gaming industry. Hopes are set high and projects like Uncharted look to be progressing well, but the history of game-to-film translations is discouraging. If as much care is going into the Warcraft movie as the lore suggests though, this could end up being one of the first significant game-to-film success stories.
What aspects of the human/orc conflict would you like to see represented on screen? Are there any characters from the lore that you would like to see make an appearance?
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Source: SlashFilm