Ep 7. Warcraft

In the seventh episode of season 25 of HBO's First Look, viewers get an inside look at the making of the fantasy film ‘Warcraft.’

Directed by Duncan Jones, ‘Warcraft’ is a movie adaptation of the popular video game series of the same name. Its story follows the initial meetings of the two factions of the game's universe— the Alliance and the Horde. Viewers are taken on a behind-the-scenes journey to see how the film was made and the challenges that the cast and crew faced during the production process.

Leading the way in the production of ‘Warcraft’ is director Duncan Jones, and in the episode, he explains the process of bringing the fictional universe of the game to life in a feature film. Jones believes that ‘Warcraft’ will revolutionize the way that people think about video game adaptations. According to him, "with all the talk of comic book movies, video games are the next frontier. It is important that we get them right, and I think we have with this film.”

Viewers have the chance to witness the construction of the elaborate sets required for ‘Warcraft,’ which were shot in Vancouver, Canada. From the massive war room of King Llane to Bishop's garden, the attention to detail is incredible. But the most impressive visual effects for the film were created by Industrial Light and Magic, the same company behind the stunning visuals of blockbuster franchises such as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Star Wars.’ ILM used cutting-edge technology to bring the orcs of ‘Warcraft’ to life, creating photo-realistic characters viewers can connect with on an emotional level.

Actor Travis Fimmel, who plays the human hero Anduin Lothar, talks about his experience with the film's elaborate costumes, then-Champion of the Humans. The actor enjoyed the process of 'Warcraft' because it allowed him to indulge his inner geek. Fimmel explains the detail in his chainmail armor, which takes a long time to put on but looks fantastic on screen. On being asked about his experience with his costume, he said, "It’s like wearing a condom that’s too small… But looks good!”

Similarly, the actor Toby Kebbell, who plays the orcish warrior Durotan, was immersed in his role, doing motion capture work for his character. Kebbell expresses his enthusiasm for bringing orcs into the real world and his excitement at playing the role. "It's a little boy's dream. If you don't enjoy putting on a big suit like this, then you've gotta check your pulse."

  Meanwhile, Paula Patton, who plays the half-human, half-orc character, Garona, talked about the difficulties of wearing theatrical contact lenses for her role. She discusses how the eye becomes more sensitive while wearing them. Regardless of this, she says the contacts help actors get into their characters. "When you see them [The Orcs] in real life and you're looking them in the eye and seeing the soul of their characters, you’re able to accomplish anything.”

The episode also features interviews with members of the cast including Ben Schnetzer, who plays wizard Khadgar, Rob Kazinsky, who plays Orgrim Doomhammer, and Daniel Wu plays Gul'dan, among others. Each cast member shares their strengths and challenges in playing their parts in the film. Their performances on screen are brought to life by director Duncan Jones' guidance and coaching.

‘Warcraft’ features epic battles between the orcs and humans. The episode shows some of the techniques the cast and crew used to create the movie's most memorable sequences, allowing viewers to see how the action was made. This episode also highlights what it is like bringing a video game world to life on the big screen, making it more immersive and dynamic.

In conclusion, the seventh episode of season 25 of HBO's First Look is an insightful and informative episode about the making of ‘Warcraft.’ Despite being a challenging project to undertake, the final product is a testament to the dedication and hard work, the cast, and crew put in making the film. ‘Warcraft’ was a groundbreaking movie in its own right, and this episode of HBO's First Look gives viewers an inside look at how it was created.