Warcraft Movie Logo

Roughly a year ago, Duncan Jones (of Moon and Source Code fame) took the stage at BlizzCon 2013 and revealed some early detail about the upcoming Warcraft film. Although the adaptation was still two years away at that point, the director and some of the Blizzard team revealed some stunning concept art and a few choice details about the movie's plot, which draws from the first two Warcraft games. A year later we're just a year and a half away from the Warcraft opening weekend (after the launch got pushed back to steer clear of Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and it's finally time to start associating some Hollywood faces with the heroes of Azeroth.

We already knew Vikings star Travis Fimmel would have a leading role in Warcraft and names like Colin Farrell and Paula Patton have been rumored for the project in the past, with other names officially listed but without character details. Ben Foster's role as Medivh has also been officially confirmed, but aside from Fimmel and Foster, every other name and character has just been a rumor at this point. The speculation came to an end this afternoon, when Jones returned to the stage for BlizzCon 2014 and revealed the rest of the stars of upcoming film for fans...

Although the original script put an emphasis on the Alliance, Duncan Jones' vision for the movie is to show both the human and Orc side of the story. With that in mind, casting Durotan and the other lead Orc characters is just as important as finding a believable Anduin Lothar. Rob Kazinsky (True Blood, Pacific Rim) took the stage alongside Jones to help announce his character, and the rest of the key players. Here's what we know now...

THE ALLIANCE

Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel)

The lead protagonist for the Alliance, Lothar is a war hero who has sacrificed everything to keep the people of Azeroth safe.

King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper)

King Llane is the leader of the Alliance city of Stormwind and a beacon of hope to its people in a time of darkness.

Medivh (Ben Foster)

Known as ‘the Guardian,’ Medivh is a mysterious and reclusive protector who wields formidable power.

Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer)

Khadgar is a gifted young mage, embarking on a daring search for the truth.

Lady Taria (Ruth Negga)

Taria is the royal Queen of Stormwind, King Llane’s great love and most trusted counsel.

Garona (Paula Patton)

Caught between the Alliance and the Horde, Garona is a strong-willed survivor who must decide where her true loyalty lies.

THE HORDE

Durotan (Toby Kebbel)

The lead protagonist for the Horde, Durotan is the noble Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, battling to save his people and his family from extinction.

Orgrim (Rob Kazinsky)

Orgrim is Durotan’s right hand and a brave warrior destined to wield the Doomhammer: a weapon of orc legend.

Blackhand (Clancy Brown)

Known as ‘The Destroyer’, Blackhand is one of orc-kind’s most fearsome and titanic warchiefs.

Gul’Dan (Daniel Wu)

Gul’dan is a supreme orc ruler, fueled by a dark magic that even he cannot control.

Many of the other rumors turned out to be true, including the characters played by Dominic Cooper and Paula Patton. Knowing the story behind Warcraft and Warcraft 2, we fully expect the film to take advantage of the ensemble cast, but it seems like a safe assumption that Durotan (played by Toby Kebbel) and Anduin (played by Travis Fimmel) will be the two main leads.

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Kebbel has dabbled in video game adaptations before with 2010's Prince of Persia and although the English actor has motion capture experience from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that should help make him a convincing Orc. Fimmel, on the other side of the war, seems big and scary enough to pull off Andiun, but we will be interested to see how well he sells the knight's charismatic side.

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Check out our character guide to Azeroth for a full breakdown of each character and what their significance is in the world of Azeroth. And for fans, you'll definitely want to check out the websites Blizzard and Legendary Pictures released. Fans can celebrate their allegiance and receive regular updates on the movie from the perspective of their chosen side.:

Sign up at FIGHTFORTHEALLIANCE.COM or FIGHTFORTHEHORDE.COM.

What do you think of the casting announcements? Do you think this crew has what it takes to make a live-action Azeroth believable to a mainstream audience? Let us know in the comments.

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Warcraft is slated to open in theaters on March 11, 2015.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: Screen Rant