Recently it was reported that, even though the Warcraft movie will ultimately lose money, a sequel might still be in the cards. However, as of July 17, director Duncan Jones hasn’t heard from the powers that be if he will indeed have a chance to make another entry in the series.
Asked on Twitter if there would be more Warcraft films, Jones said, “Not up to me, my friend. I hope it happens, but don’t know yet.”
Jones has talked about ideas for sequels, and indeed, the Warcraft universe is unquestionaly massive and seemingly ripe for storytelling opportunities. But like the 40-minute-longer extended cut, whether or not Jones will get to make more films will depend upon the success of the first movie.
An anonymous source speaking to The Hollywood Reporter recently said a plan is already in motion for a sequel, but admitted it would need a lower budget to happen.
Of the $430 million Warcraft has earned worldwide, a whopping 89 percent came from outside of the United States. The movie made almost $221 million–more than half of the total gross–in China alone, while the US generated just $46.6 million of the gross.
“Warcraft is a strange box-office beast and unlike anything the industry has seen,” analyst Jeff Bock said recently. “If China didn’t end up grossing what it did, this would have been an utter failure. Now it’s only a mild concussion.”
With a reported budget of $160 million, sources connected to the movie expect it to lose about $15 million. This contradicts earlier reports that it would make its money back on the strength of the Chinese market.
Despite looking like a money-loser, Warcraft has become the top-grossing video game movie ever, surpassing the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($336 million globally).
Jones’ next movie is a lower-budget sci-fi film called Mute. The film is expected to start shooting at the end of the year, the director said on Twitter. Don’t expect any new details on the film at San Diego Comic-Con this week, however.
Would you like to see another Warcraft film? Let us know in the comments below!