A $439 Million Fantasy Flop — Once Expected to Rival 'The Lord of the Rings'

When Warcraft hit theatres in 2016, it seemed like the fantasy genre was about to enter a new era. Directed by Duncan Jones, backed by a multimillion-dollar budget, and filled with visual spectacle, the film had all the makings of a hit. And while its box office performance was respectable — $439 million on a $160 million budget — its legacy is one of missed opportunity.

Visually grand, emotionally hollow

Warcraft was a sincere attempt at something epic — the creators even built life-size armour and weapons for visual reference. The motion-captured orcs looked impressive, and the battle scenes were undeniably cinematic. But all that polish couldn’t hide the film’s biggest flaw: the story didn’t resonate. The characters felt like beautiful chess pieces, not real, breathing people.

Too much for those who never played

The film tried hard to please fans — Blizzard’s Chris Metzen was brought in to help with the script, familiar characters like Durotan and Lothar were featured, and there were countless nods to canon. But for anyone unfamiliar with the lore, it was difficult to understand what these heroes were fighting for or why it mattered. The movie spoke a language only longtime players could fully grasp.

And yet — not a total failure

The irony is that despite scathing reviews (29% on Rotten Tomatoes), Warcraft still retains a base of loyal fans. To them, it’s a visually rich, if clumsy, adaptation of a beloved game. Yes, it’s overly serious and at times overloaded with details, but it’s not cheap fan service — it’s a genuine attempt at storytelling.

The film’s core issue was that it never chose its audience. For fans, it was too shallow. For newcomers, too dense. In the end, Warcraft landed somewhere in the middle: not a failure, not a triumph, but a fantasy epic that meant well — and missed.