Rumor: 'World of Warcraft' film starring Johnny Depp in the works

Reuters. Johnny Depp 'World of Warcraft': Rumor has it a film based on 'World of Warcraft' is being made, starring Johnny Depp. IMAGE

2/1/13

WOW! A long-rumored film adaptation of "World of Warcraft" is reportedly in the works

UNCONFIRMED: A film based on "World of Warcraft" is being made, starring Johnny Depp

With a tweet, "Source Code" director Duncan Jones has announced his intention to "make a proper MOVIE of a video game" — in this case, a film version of wildly popular, massively multiplayer online role-playing game "World of Warcraft." Best of all, the budget for the film is apparently huge and actor Johnny Depp is said to be being courted for the starring role.

Long talked about project

Film versions of "World of Warcraft" have been talked about for years. The game is enormously popular with more than 10 million paid subscribers, but film versions of video games are a risky enterprise and are often low-budget affairs without Johnny Depp-level stars. Most recently "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi was said to have been tapped for the Warner Brothers project, but i09 reports that Raimi has chosen to concentrate on his "Oz" project, leaving the door open to Jones, a young director who's an avid gamer and, with "Source Code" and "Moon," has a pair of edgy and successful films under his belt.

See trailers for "Source Code" and "Moon"

Depp no sure thing

While by seemingly all accounts the "World of Warcraft" film is a go, whether Depp will be involved appears to still be in limbo. The Tracking Board reports that the script was written by Charles Leavitt and that producers Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull, Charles Roven, Alex Gartner and Josh Donen will be involved. No word is yet out, however, on whether Depp is as interested in playing the part of a Night Elf assassin or a Draenei shaman as the folks at Warner Brothers are in him doing so.

Check out all the "World of Warcraft" games

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