'Warcraft' Director Duncan Jones Details the 'Death of 1,000 Cuts' That Doomed His Movie
It may have earned a ton overseas ($386 million, to be precise), but Duncan Jones’ Warcraft was a flop with American audiences. Only netting $47 million at summer multiplexes, the $160 million-budgeted fantasy epic seemed to please fans of the massive multiplayer role-playing online game upon which it’s based, but almost no one else. Moreover, it doesn’t sound like director Duncan Jones was too surprised about the tepid response, since in a new interview, he discussed the behind-the-scenes turmoil.
Speaking to Matt Patches at Thrillest from the set of his upcoming sci-fi effort Mute, Jones explained that it wasn’t one big decision that derailed Warcraft. “Trying to make a movie like Warcraft, and trying to do it in a unique way… you get killed by a death of 1,000 cuts,” he said. “As a filmmaker, the only way that I understand how to make a film is holistically…. When you make a little change, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. When you keep making those little changes, especially over three and a half years, suddenly you’re basically spending all of your time trying to work out how to patch up what has been messed around with.”
While Jones says he’s proud of certain elements of the movie — the Durotan and Draka relationship; the first forest fight sequence — the Moon and Source Code director comes off as more than a bit despondent about his experience. And for those hoping that some of Warcraft’s deficiencies might be rectified by a home-video director’s cut, Jones makes clear that’s not going to happen. “With a film like this, where there are so many visual effects, every concession that you make, you lose those shots,” he said. “They cease to exist because the effects work never gets done. Some of it’s not even at that stage…. So there is no possibility of there ever being a director’s cut. It’s purely in my head.”
Even with the headaches he endured on the film, Jones leaves the door open to returning for any potential sequels. However, given how thoroughly American audiences rejected Warcraft, it’s difficult to imagine any future trips to its fantastical world.
You can read Jones’ entire interview over at Thrillest. And for those interested in giving Warcraft a shot (or second look), it debuts on digital HD on Sept. 13, and on Blu-ray on Sept. 27.
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