Sam Raimi to make World of Warcraft film

Sam Raimi, the acclaimed director of Spider-Man and Evil Dead, has signed up to make a live-action film based on one of the world's most popular fantasy video game franchises, World of Warcraft.
 
According to Variety, Raimi will start shooting the film after he completes work on Spider Man 4. Raimi most recently directed Drag Me to Hell, starring Alison Lohman, which was well-received for its comic horror.
 
World of Warcraft is the world's most popular multi-player online role-playing game, with a global following of 11.5 million subscribers as of April 2008. Launched in 1994, it is set in a medieval fantasy world called Azeroth in which humans, trolls, dwarves and 'undead' elves battle against each other.
 
"Warcraft is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which our studio is best known," said Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros Pictures Group, which is financing the film. Raimi added: "At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story."
 
Big-screen adaptations of similar role-playing games have not proved successful in the past, however. The role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons and the shoot-em-up Doom failed to convince the critics while 2001's Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within took just $85m worldwide from a $137m budget. ·