Though it received a lot of attention early on for its incredible use of digital effects and its closeness to the source material, Warcraft was just another in the long list of video game movies that flopped upon its release...if you only look at the domestic box office that is. Internationally the film cleaned up -- especially in China, where it broke box office records. Those good numbers are enough to make a sequel possible, but is that actually going to happen? Director Duncan Jones is down, but apparently, the ball is entirely in Legendary's court.
Warcraft may not have been very popular on the whole, but that doesn't mean that it lacks any fans. One Twitter user alleged to having seen the fantasy flick four times in IMAX (sheesh, man), and he's biting his nails waiting for a sequel. Duncan Jones responded to his tweet sharing his excitement for a second trip to Warcraft, but unfortunately, it's not up to him. Legendary is the one who calls the shots, and it's the studio's decision if they want to pursue another entry. It's really anyone's guess right now what their attitude towards a sequel is, but perhaps fans can take solace in knowing that Jones would be happy to answer the call should he get one.
It's pretty debatable as to whether or not a Warcraft 2 is somewhere down the road. The film was gored with bad reviews as sharp as any sword, but reviews aren't really the top concern to a studio -- if it were they would have stopped at Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. No, money tends to be the deciding factor (it is a business after all) and Warcraft did make a lot of it. Though the film flopped in the U.S., it was a record-breaking five-day debut with $156 million earned in China. Globally, the film has earned more than $430 million. The audience is certainly there for a Warcraft 2.
If Legendary does decide to greenlight a Warcraft sequel they could choose to go the Resident Evil path in how they release the movie. Resident Evil is another franchise that gets most of its box office from foreign markets. Therefore, it does most of its promotional material overseas, a strategy that has proven effective given that mostly foreign markets pushed it to become a $1 billion franchise. Warcraft could certainly opt for a similar strategy.
As of now, Legendary has not said anything about a potential sequel to Warcraft, but the option seems to be on the table with no shortage of source material for a sequel to take inspiration from. Keep checking back in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated on all things Warcraft as soon as that information becomes available.
It's unfortunate that it is unclear if a Warcraft sequel is happening. However, if you are looking to add the original to your dvd or blu-ray collection, you can check that out here.
