As Elizabeth reported earlier, the rumor about Spielberg directing the new Warcraft film flew across my desk yesterday, but I hesitated to report it, as I was convinced that it couldn't possibly be true. And after seeing this article today on Gamespot, it appears that, for the 134th time this week, I was right.

Since the news first hit, debate has raged as to the plausibity of such a rumor, with some fans claiming Spielberg to be an avid fantasy fan who would be a perfect match for the project, and others claiming that he wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

Well, as of this morning, it looks like no pole will be needed, as nothing in today's Variety (the reputed source of the news) mentions the WoW film or makes any mention of Spielberg's involvement, and if it was happening, it would very likely be in there. So, it's looks like this one is more kindling for the rumor pile. Personally, I'm still crossing my fingers for John (Conan) Milius's Warcraft: The Motion Picture, but that may be too much to hope for.

Everyone has been buzzing about the announcement last week of a live-action Warcraft film, and now Gamespot has an interview with Blizzard exec Paul Sams, where he discusses some of the goals in bringing WoW to the big screen.

" We're not trying to take what we've done and...try to make a literal translation to the big screen. What we want to do is to make a great movie that happens to be set in a video game universe. That's a differentiator, and a key differentiator."

It sounds to me like they have the right attitude about the project, as no direct adaptation, if one is even possible, is going to please everyone. The best idea is for them to craft a solid, compelling story that happens to be set in the gameworld we all know & love, and just try to make a good film first & foremost. From this interview, it seems that's exactly what they're trying to do, so lets just hope the suits don't stick too many fingers in the pie between script & screen...

We reported yesterday about the news of a new WoW motion picture in development, and now it looks like the boys in blue have indeed confirmed that report. An official press release went out today, announcing the joint development of the film, with producers Legendary Pictures at the reigns.

The release quotes both the Blizzard creative team and the filmmakers, and shines some light on what we can expect to see from the upcoming epic. No talent or crew have been signed as of yet, but I'm sure that the rumors will start flying anytime now, and the fans will have plenty to chew upon as the project comes to fruition.

Aside from my wary words yesterday, I do indeed hope for the best with this adaptation; aside from being a fantasy fan in general, I would enjoy a property I'm familiar with being given the proper screen treatment. I'm sure every WoW fan under the sun has their own idea of what the ideal Warcraft movie would be, and I'm sure the filmmakers are going to be listening to those ideas as the project moves forth, so start your dream casting now, folks!

Well, we knew it had to be on the drawing board somewhere. It seems that Legendary Pictures, producers of both the latest Superman & Batman films, are interested in bringing World of Warcraft to the big screen, according to this IGN article. The film would likely hit screens via Warner Bros., as they have handled most of the distribution for Legendary's releases so far.

This could be exciting news for all Warcraft fans, but we all know just how well video games usually survive translation into the film medium. Alone in the Dark, Doom, Silent Hill....Super Mario Brothers, anyone? Still, just by the law of averages, they have to get one right sometime...here's hoping the best for WoW's big-screen maiden voyage.