Former Activision Blizzard Boss Calls World of Warcraft Film “Terrible”
During a recent episode of the Grit podcast, former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick expressed his disappointment with the 2016 World of Warcraft film, labeling it as “terrible” and “one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen”.
Kotick revealed that the project, aimed at bringing the popular MMO game to the big screen, had been a significant distraction for Blizzard. Resources were diverted, causing delays in game updates for World of Warcraft.
The decision to pursue the film had been made before Activision acquired Blizzard in 2008, leaving Kotick feeling regretful. Despite his reservations, the deal was already in place when the company took over.
“World of Warcraft, the movie… I thought was a terrible idea,” Kotick expressed. “It took loads of resources and distracted them. Our expansions were late, patches weren’t getting done on time.”
Legendary Developer Burnout and Failed Sequel Plans
Kotick also mentioned the toll the movie took on legendary Blizzard developer Chris Metzen, who was burnt out by the project and only returned to Blizzard years later at Kotick’s request.
Although plans had been in motion for a full World of Warcraft film trilogy, they were ultimately scrapped following the initial movie’s underwhelming performance at the US box office.
Former editor Oli Welsh criticized the film, stating, “You have what amounts to the most expensive lore wiki ever made.” He emphasized that the movie’s ending lacked impact for those unfamiliar with the game’s lore, and potential sequels appeared unlikely to materialize.
During the podcast interview, Kotick shared an amusing anecdote about his pitch to Steven Spielberg for a Jurassic Park video game, which he sent to the director in a large dinosaur egg.