Originally published June 13, 2016. Updated November 23, 2022.
Having finally been released in North America after a couple of weeks of international screenings, Warcraft didn’t find its feet domestically – but like X-Men: Apocalypse last week, it’s been saved by worldwide takings.
The movie opened against The Conjouring 2 and Now You See Me 2, but failed to topple the former taking second place with $24 million (which is more than I had predicted on the Flickering Myth Podcast). However thanks in part to a fantastic opening in China and continued success there, Warcraft has a worldwide total of $286 million – making it the fourth biggest video game movie of all-time.
Warcraft‘s China screenings have been so good in fact that it has reached RMB1 billion six hours quicker than Furious 7 did last year. The film’s international screenings account for 91% of its total.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Warcraft here and here
The success of Warcraft oversees further sees China becoming the largest market, which experts predict will happen by the end of 2017. Several movies last year – including box office bomb Terminator: Genisys – be saved by its China screenings. Although the $24 million opening in North America would be seen as disastrous when the movie cost $160 million to make, its worldwide box office recipients could see Warcraft be touted as a success when all is said and done.
Warcraft sees Duncan Jones (Moon) directing a cast that includes Robert Kazinsky (Pacific Rim) as Orgrim Doomhammer, Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger) as King Llane Wrynn, Travis Fimmel (Vikings) as Anduin Lothar, Ben Foster (Ain’t Them Body Saints) as Medivh, Ben Schnetzer (Pride) as Khadgar, Ruth Negga (World War Z), Clancy Brown (Starship Troopers) as Blackhand, Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) as Durotan, Daniel Wu (The Man with the Iron Fists) as Gul’Dan and Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) as Garona.
