'Warcraft' The Movie, Will Not Be About a Good Race of Humans Battling An Evil Race of Orcs, Says Director, But About The Heroes On Both Sides Trying to Avoid A Conflict

Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures' Warcraft, the live-action full-length feature film based on the mythology explored in the popular video game of the same name, is scheduled to be released on March 11, 2016. Directed by Duncan Jones from a screenplay he co-wrote with Charles Leavitt, the film is set in the world of Azeroth and portrays the origin story of the initial encounters between the humans and the orcs, with equal emphasis on both the Alliance's and the Horde' sides of their conflict.

Portraying the 'Humans of Stormwind' are Travis Fimmel as the Alliance's lead protagonist, the knight Lothar. With him are Dominic Cooper as Stormwind's King Llane Wrynn, Ben Foster as Guardian of Tirisfal Magna Medivh, Ben Schnetzer as the young mage Khadgar, and Ruth Negga as Queen-consort Lady Taria. On the side of the 'Orcish Horde,' Toby Kebbel stars as the Horde's lead protagonist, the chieftain Durotan. With him are Rob Kazinsky as the warrior Orgrim Doomhammer, Clancy Brown as Blackhand the Destroyer, and Daniel Wu as the warlock and Shadow Council leader Gul'dran. Others in the cast of Warcraft include Paula Patton as the half-orc half-draenei assassin and spy-mistress Garona Halforcen, along with Burkely Duffield, Daniel Cudmore, and Callum Keith Rennie in still undisclosed roles.

In an interview reported by Empire, director Jones gave some indication on what may be expected from the upcoming movie. He said: "From the moment I first talked to Blizzard, the plan was to start our film with the first time Orcs met Humans. First contact! I think that for a world with so much newness to explain, this was a wise choice, especially when so many people in our audience may not know anything about Warcraft... It was important that some of our characters would be seeing the world fresh as well, and that the audience could see the situation through their eyes. A Warcraft film should not be about a good race of humans battling an evil race of orcs. Warcraft should be about heroes on both sides trying to avoid a conflict, when villains leave them no choice."