Duncan Jones to direct Warcraft movie

Film maker Duncan Jones has been named as the director of a movie based on the World of Warcraft video games by Blizzard Entertainment.

World of Warcraft is the world's biggest massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) featuring elves, orcs and trolls. It is unsurprising that such a popular video games franchise is to become a movie. According to the BBC, the director selected for the project is Duncan Jones. Duncan Jones is the son of musician David Bowie (he was born in 1971 and originally named Zowie Bowie). He has directed two movies that have received good reviews: 'Moon' (2009) and 'Source Code' (2011). The announcement was made by Jones, when he sent he following tweet: "So the gauntlet was thrown down ages ago: Can you make a proper MOVIE of a video game. I've always said it's possible. Got to DO it now!" The adaption of the World of Warcraft from computer game to movie has been in development for a long time. In May 2006, production company Legendary Pictures acquired film rights to adapt Warcraft for the big screen with the game's publisher, Blizzard Entertainment. The development has been held up by various rights issues and several changes to potential directors and with the script (the Guardian provides a summary of the troubled development). Now, according to Hollywood Reporter, the movie is ready to go with a budget of $100 million. Few details about the movie project have emerged, although Sky News indicates that Prometheus star Michael Fassbender is lined up to play the lead role. Legendary Pictures is looking at a start in fall 2013 and a release in 2015.