Fimmel, Cooper, Foster: Three Heroes of "Warcraft: The Beginning"

Three of today's most compelling actors – Travis Fimmel (TV's “Vikings”), Dominic Cooper (TV's “Preacher,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Ben Foster (“X-Men: The Last Stand”) lead the charge of Azeroth heroes in Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures' “Warcraft: The Beginning” (in Philippine cinemas May 25).

In the human world of Azeroth, the pivotal role of the valiant Commander Anduin Lothar is assumed by Australian actor Travis Fimmel, well known for his portrayal of Ragnar in the blockbuster series “Vikings.”

Compare Orcs & Their Actors in "Warcraft: The Beginning"

In Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures' “Warcraft: The Beginning,” the filmmakers went back into the past to introduce the origins of Warcraft and then took a giant step forward with their use of special effects, computer generated imagery, and motion capture technology to tell that story in the most believable way.

(Watch the featurette on ILM Visual Effects at http://youtu.be/jak3WXZZlVo.)

By bringing Academy Award®-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer onto the project, not only were they collaborating with one of the very best in the business but, fortuitously, he was already a devoted player of the game.

By far the biggest challenge for director Duncan Jones, Westenhofer and their team was the orcs. Of the more than 2,000 visual effects shots created, almost 1,300 shots involved these hulking warriors.

The Warcraft story is one of human versus orc, with each side having its protagonist and antagonist. At the outset, the filmmakers knew that these seven-to-eight foot, 500 pound creatures would have to be digital. But they wanted the audience to be able to see the same caliber of performance from them as from the humans. To do that, humans and orcs had to be filmed together, and that meant the tremendous challenge of pushing state-of-the-art motion capture technology to an entirely new level.

Devout Gamer Duncan Jones Directs "Warcraft: The Beginning"‏

Finding the perfect storyteller to direct “Warcraft: The Beginning” proved to be so much easier than the producers first imagined. Best known for his BAFTA award-winning masterpiece “Moon,” as well as the twist-a-minute “Source Code,” director Duncan Jones had another valuable asset to bring to the table: his intimate understanding and deeply personal love for the game.

The son of the late music legend, David Bowie, Duncan Jones is a devout gamer and World of Warcraft player for many years. The filmmaker admits he was very excited about the prospect of a Warcraft film long before he was considered to direct it. Given the opportunity to meet with Blizzard and reveal his alternate approach, he recalls: “If you’re a player of the game, you know that part of its appeal is that you can be a hero, no matter what side you’re on. So my pitch was that the film should mirror that; it should be a war movie, one which shows the heroes on both sides and treats them with equal respect.”

Global Phenomenon "Warcraft" Takes Flight‏

Since its inception, more than 100 million players have experienced the dazzling and compelling mythology that is the global phenomenon known as World of Warcraft.

(Watch the International Trailer 2 of “Warcraft: The Beginning” at http://youtu.be/mWJ5cX4XdTw.)

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, created by Blizzard Entertainment in 1994, was a breakthrough smash success that served as the first chapter in a trilogy that, for many fans, redefined the real-time strategy genre. The second and third, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, further stoked fascination and imagination in its players, as did the best-selling novels and other popular merchandise.

But it was the fourth title in the series that was, literally, the game changer.

"Warcraft" Heroes Durotan, Lothar in Character Videos‏

Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures have released two character videos from “Warcraft: The Beginning,” profiling the two lead characters: Durotan the orc (Toby Kebbell) and Lothar the human (Travis Fimmel). The film opens across the Philippines on May 25.

View the “Durotan” Character Video at http://youtu.be/-VjRo3gnVJU and the “Lothar” Character Video at http://youtu.be/wG1-gz1WQ7A.

From Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures comes “Warcraft: The Beginning,” an epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon.

Humans, Orcs Unite in New "Warcraft: The Beginning" Trailer‏

Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures have just revealed the brand-new trailer for “Warcraft: The Beginning,” the 3D epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon. Watch the trailer here at http://youtu.be/65AjY_nRdqE.

Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and written by Charles Leavitt and Duncan Jones, the film is a Legendary Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment production.

"Warcraft: The Beginning" Unleashes Character Posters‏

Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures have just unveiled eight character posters for “Warcraft: The Beginning,” the epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon.

Getting individual one-sheets are Lothar, The War Hero; Durotan, Noble Orc Chief; Blackhand, The Destroyer; Orgrim, The Fighter; Garona, The Unbroken Survivor; Gul’dan, The Invader; King Llane, The Warrior King and Lady Taria, The Queen of Hope.

The studio has also announced a new and earlier release date in the Philippines – “Wacraft” will now launch on May 25 (from the previously announced June bow.)

In “Warcraft: The Beginning,” the peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.