World of Warcraft film to shoot in Vancouver

CTV BC: World of Warcraft to film in Vancouver The popular video game may save the B.C. film industry when it shoots in Vancouver next year.

One of the most popular online games in the world will be adapted for the big-screen in Vancouver.

Millions of gamers play the online sorcery game every day and now, it is set to become a film.

Legendary Pictures, the company behind Batman, Superman and an upcoming Godzilla remake, will produce the film early next year.

Film reviewer Jim Gordon said the production could save the struggling B.C. film industry which has seen lower production recently due to tax credit incentives from other locations.

“It's gonna be great for our film industry which has been down lately because of productions being lured to other provinces, and our dollar is competing strongly with the American dollar, so there's less reason to come up here," he said.

Gordon said film producers often gravitate towards projects with built-in audiences, and World of Warcraft certainly fits that criteria.

“Whether it's a video game, a book or an old TV show, they're looking for that audience that is already there. They don't want to rely on introducing the audience to a new superhero, a new character, a new love stort,” he said. “You look at something like Warcraft, it's got ten to 12 million people who played it, bought it, traded it around, look at that audience already.”

Fans like Peter Davies at One Stop Cards and Games shop said he has been waiting for a World of Warcraft film for a long time, and is excited about the possibilities that the game offers.

"Anything is possible. You can fly a dragon. You can go underwater - quests underwater on a seahorse. You get to play anything you like really - a rogue casting spells, or be a paladin coming into battle with a huge hammer like Thor,” he said.

The film is set to start shooting in Vancouver in January and will hit theatres sometime in 2015.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger.