‘Warcraft’ Movie Becomes Streaming Hit on Max 10 Years After Disappointing Release

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When it comes to transforming well-known video games for viewing on both large and small screens, the outcomes can be unpredictable. However, with productions like “The Last of Us” and “Twisted Metal”, things appear to be improving. Unfortunately, films such as “Borderlands” demonstrate that Hollywood doesn’t always hit the mark. This was evident with the 2016 film “Warcraft,” which garnered mixed reactions from fans and critics at its release, but now, nine years later, it has become a popular streaming choice.

As for Max, at this moment, “Warcraft” ranks seventh among the Top 10 films. It’s nestled between Ben Affleck’s “The Accountant” in sixth place and the beloved Robin Williams movie “Mrs. Doubtfire” in eighth. Directed by Duncan Jones, “Warcraft” is an adaptation of Blizzard Entertainment’s popular video game franchise, featuring Travis Fimmel (“Vikings”) as Anduin Lothar of Stormwind and Toby Kebbell (“Kong: Skull Island”) as Durotan of the Frostwolf clan. These characters, played by Fimmel and Kebbell respectively, are central figures in a growing conflict that endangers their realm.

With a production budget of $160 million, the film “Warcraft” garnered an impressive total of $439.1 million in box office sales, despite receiving negative reviews from critics at its release. The action-fantasy movie currently has a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Todd Jorgenson from Cinemalogue describing it as a “haphazardly put together, big-budget fantasy blend of spectacle over substance that often feels like a mismatched assortment of leftover scenes from The Lord of the Rings.” Ouch! Stephen Romei from The Australian shared similar thoughts, stating that “Warcraft” is essentially a two-hour battle between humans and orcs, heavily influenced by The Lord of the Rings franchise and the television series Game of Thrones.

Fans Are Still Hoping for a ‘Warcraft’ Sequel

Despite some harsh reviews from critics, fans seemed to appreciate the film adaptation of Warcraft, as indicated by its 76% score on Popcornmeter at Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer expressed their enthusiasm for the movie, saying, “I can’t fathom why people dislike this film so much, but I found it fantastic.” They went on to express regret that the movie didn’t receive more support and lamented the lack of a sequel due to its poor box office performance.

It might seem obvious that, considering Warcraft earned nearly three times its production cost and ranked among the top film adaptations of video games, a follow-up would be a certainty. However, critical disapproval upon release put a halt to that expectation. Although discussions about creating a new installment in the series were taking place a few years ago by Legendary Entertainment, there has been scarce information regarding the project since 2020, leaving its future uncertain.

While we anticipate what lies ahead for the series, if you’re a fan of the games or simply seeking some enjoyable entertainment to play in the backdrop as you strive to keep your New Year’s resolutions, you might want to watch Warcraft currently streaming on Max.

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2025-01-07 00:34