Will There Ever Be a Warcraft Movie Sequel? Here’s What Blizzard Says

When World of Warcraft came out, it became a digital revolution that turned millions of regular people into devoted fans. The game's massive success made the 2016 movie adaptation feel like a sure bet. Everyone was waiting in anticipation. So as you can imagine, the movie had pretty big shoes to fill.

Yet when it finally released, critics weren't very impressed, to say the least. Forbes even called it “a $430 million flop,” with Scott Mendelson declaring:

“Warcraft is something of a wash. It grossed a lot, but it didn't make money, and it utterly failed at its intended purpose.”

The fans, however, had a completely different take on this so-called “failure.” Numbers tell it all: a mere 29% on the Tomatometer and a decent 76% from the audience on Popcornmeter.

Inside the World of Warcraft (2016)

Let’s take a look back at the movie itself before we go any further.

Warcraft tells a story of survival and unlikely alliances. When a desperate Orc horde seeks refuge through a magical portal to the peaceful Azeroth, both humans and Orcs must face difficult choices.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Warcraft phenomenon is its staying power. And fans want more. As Redditor Varedis_Felsoul shared:

“Just recently bought the 4K blu ray and rewatched it, I absolutely want a sequel, sure it may have not been the greatest movie ever made but the criticism was way overblown.”

Is There Any Hope for a Return to Azeroth?

Speaking of a sequel, John Hight (former franchise director) said to IGN that he loved the movie and thought that it would “certainly be interesting” for them to continue. But he made it very clear that Blizzard doesn't make movies, saying:

“We make games and I think that games will always be our core, and so Warcraft will be centered around that. I don't want to fall into the trap of ‘I will be a filmmaker now.’ I think leave that to the folks that really know what they're doing.”

Pretty straight forward. Hight gave us hopes for more movies if they find a director who's willing to take on that epic story.

If the franchise ever comes back, these movies could easily appeal to a wider audience.

“I'm really sad that such a large portion of the US market won't go see a Warcraft movie. I brought so many people that had no interest in Warcraft to it and they all enjoyed it. It was a great movie even if you had no idea what Warcraft was,” Redditor Tarquinn2049 wrote.

That’s true. The world of Azeroth is vast, filled with countless stories waiting to be told. While Hollywood might see just numbers, fans see potential for epic stories.

For those curious to see what all the fuss is about, Warcraft is currently available on HBO Max and is waiting to be discovered.