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"Not everyone had read Tolkien who went and saw those films
but (Jackson) crafted a film with interesting characters and a
plot that's engaged and people by the millions wanted to see
more," Jones told Reuters.
"Hopefully we've done the same with 'Warcraft.'"
The film, out in U.S. theaters on Friday, brings an origin story
of the fantasy world explored in the role-playing "World of
Warcraft" gaming franchise from Activision Blizzard Inc, which
had 10 million subscribers as of November 2015.
Jones said that while he wanted to make a film that fans of the
game would enjoy, he also wanted to introduce the world of "Warcraft"
to newcomers and "make them come in and feel embraced by this
fantasy setting that this film takes place in."
"Warcraft" follows the battle between the monster-like Orcs as
they try to colonize the human land of Azeroth, with magic
playing a key role in the fight.
The film features mythical Orcs, dwarves, elves, wizard-esque
mages and trolls, much like "Lord of the Rings."
Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures, a
subsidiary of China's Wanda Cinema Line Corp, co-financed the
film's $160 million budget, with Universal distributing it
globally except for China.
The film has already grossed $70 million internationally.
At the heart of the story is Sir Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel),
and the Orc prisoner Garona (Paula Patton), who band together to
fight against the Orcs, led by the ferocious, power-hungry
Gul'dan (Daniel Wu).
"Whether you are a hard-core gamer like Rob (Kazinsky, co-star)
is or you're someone who never played the game like myself, you
connect right off the bat to a strong compelling story and a
character-driven story," said actor Ben Schnetzer, who plays
talented young mage Khadgar.
Jones said Patton's character is an outcast and presents the
point of view for the audience as she is caught between two
cultures. Patton said she liked that her character "is a warrior
and quite strong" but also vulnerable at times.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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