Does Warcraft Have Adaptation Potential?
The answer is a resounding yes.
After Red Alert was abandoned by EA, Warcraft quickly rose to prominence, becoming the world's most beloved role-playing real-time strategy game today.
Released in 1995, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, followed by Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal in 1996, defined an era. Alongside Blizzard's other hits, Diablo and StarCraft, these games stood as the three titans of their time.
Especially after the introduction of online multiplayer strategy mode, competitive gaming was born. The saying "fighting against others is endlessly fun" was perfectly proven in Blizzard's titles.
Beyond that, Warcraft's story is captivating. Sure, it borrows heavily from The Lord of the Rings, but in 2002—right now—other than the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, where else can audiences find an epic fantasy saga with such a grand backdrop?
The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter lean in different directions. Only Warcraft can stir up those Lord of the Rings vibes for movie fans.
Plus, that similarity helps a lot of non-gamers grasp the plot. Everyone's so familiar with The Lord of the Rings—dwarves, orcs, undead, night elves—once they show up, people get it right away.
The downsides of being a copycat are obvious, but the upsides are just as clear.
If you turn Warcraft into a TV series and avoid competing with The Lord of the Rings on the big screen—no crazy attempts to match its visuals or depth—it could be a total game-changer. On TV, as the first-ever epic fantasy series, Warcraft would make waves.
And get this: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos drops this July, and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne comes out next July. If Dunn decides to produce a Warcraft TV show, it could air next fall, riding the hype of the new game releases and sparking a viewing frenzy.
From an entertainment perspective, Warcraft is a goldmine for adaptation!
But Dunn Studios' strategy isn't just about movies and TV.
Dunn's got big ambitions—he hates working for someone else!
Imagine this: if Dunn Studios pitches a Warcraft TV series, Blizzard would jump at the chance. They might even let him shoot it for free.
Why? If the Warcraft story blows up, it means more gamers!
Blizzard rakes in more cash!
Even bigger, after Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Blizzard's got a massive new project lined up—World of Warcraft!
If Dunn Studios' Warcraft series heats things up, it'd be a huge boost for Blizzard's upcoming online game, World of Warcraft.
The Warcraft TV show would basically be a billion-dollar ad for World of Warcraft!
Dunn's not about to pour over $100 million into a series just to become someone else's billboard. That'd leave a bad taste in his mouth.
Even if the show's a hit and Dunn Studios makes bank, it'd be peanuts compared to what Blizzard would haul in!
Why should that be okay?
Dunn's fine eating the meat while others sip the soup—but someone else eating the meat while he's stuck with the soup? No way, he's not here for handouts!
The only solution? Keep the meat and the soup in his own bowl.
"What? You want to buy Vivendi's gaming division?"
Bill McNick was called into Dunn's office, and when he heard Dunn's plan, he was too stunned to speak.
Dunn laid it out simply: his goal to adapt Warcraft into a TV series. Then he added, "Movies, games, toys, publishing—they're all part of the same chain. Right now, it's all about integrating resources. Linking everything up boosts efficiency, cuts costs, and opens up bigger profits."
Bill frowned. "We haven't even locked down Universal Pictures yet, and now you're eyeing Blizzard? Dunn… isn't that a bit too ambitious?"
Vivendi Group has a massive entertainment division—Vivendi Games, Vivendi Films, Vivendi Publishing, Vivendi Music, Vivendi TV Network, and more.
Bill got Dunn's vision, but Vivendi's on a hot streak, expanding aggressively. They're bigger than Viacom, second only to AOL Time Warner as the world's top media conglomerate.
Even as a French company, could Dunn Studios really take them on?
Dunn shook his head. "Bill, you might not know the full picture. I've been keeping tabs on Vivendi for the past six months. Their CEO, Jean Messier, is bold, efficient, and full of American-style swagger—which totally clashes with France's business culture. In 2001, Vivendi lost 13.6 billion euros, and their balance sheet? They're drowning in over 3 billion euros of debt!"
Bill barely had time to keep up with Dunn Studios' workload, let alone dig into some French company. He'd only heard bits and pieces. "Wait, didn't a French survey earlier this year call Messier 'the most entrepreneurial and business-savvy French icon' or something?"
Dunn burst out laughing. "Simple—it's national pride talking! Messier's leading a French company on a buying spree in the U.S., and that's got the French feeling all puffed up. They see his rise from manager to CEO as a global takeover blueprint."
"It's like when Japanese companies swept into the U.S. for big acquisitions back in the day. And what happened? They choked on it! Panasonic's out, Sony's fading fast. But to the Japanese, Sony cracked open America's gates—it's their pride, a symbol of their rise."
"That survey you mentioned? Probably just a bunch of clueless folks hyping him up. Real business pros have already spotted the flaws in Messier's debt-fueled buying spree. Just recently, Vivendi sold 15.8% of its environmental division for 1.7 billion euros to pay off debt interest. That's the crisis showing its face."
Bill was floored. "Vivendi's already selling assets to cover interest? The board's got to be reacting, right?"
Dunn nodded. "Oh yeah. In just over three months this year, five Vivendi board members have jumped ship. And with all that debt pressure, the management team's cracking. Messier's obsessed with conquering markets and making deals, leaving the actual running of things to his assistants. But honestly, no one can handle that mess."
In 2001, Messier led Vivendi to swallow 59 companies in a row, setting a world record!
Since 1998, through cash and stock deals, he's burned through 77 billion euros!
Sure, Messier's dream came true fast—he built a global media empire. But now, both inside the company and on Wall Street, he's lost all trust and clout.
Still, Messier's brimming with confidence, charming the board with big talk and boldly claiming he'll run Vivendi for another 15 years!
In management, he flip-flops constantly, sets contradictory goals, then blames others for the fallout. He shuts down dissent and loves to ramble on about himself in meetings…
Bill's face turned serious as he sank into thought.
Dunn smirked, grabbed a copy of Businessweek from his desk, and handed it over.
"What's this?"
"Turn to page 18."
Bill flipped it open and saw a bold headline: "Four Media Titans—Who's Out First?"
First up: AOL Time Warner's COO, Robert Pittman, with odds of 2.1:1. (He's an America Online guy, but Time Warner's crew is taking over.)
Next: Viacom's president, Mel Karmazin, at 1.6:1. (His feud with Sumner Redstone is getting ugly.)
Then: Disney's chairman and CEO, Michael Eisner, at 4:1.
And finally: Vivendi's CEO, Jean Messier, with odds of a dead-even 1:1!
From those odds, Businessweek was betting Messier's out within months!
Bill set the magazine down, still looking puzzled. "Dunn, even if Messier's gone, so what? How do you know they'll ditch their entertainment businesses?"
Dunn grinned. "The news, man—French news spilled it. Vivendi's two big shareholders, the Bronfman family and financier Paul, want to sell off everything in the U.S. except leisure and theaters. They're fed up with the American market. And that's all the stuff Messier spent years building up—it's his baby."
Bill couldn't help but laugh, half-annoyed, half-amazed.
This Dunn guy—usually shoving all the company's big and small headaches onto him—turns out he's been pouring his energy into studying the competition.
Dunn's business game isn't about management—it's about playing people!
He's got Vivendi completely figured out.
If things at Vivendi are as shaky as Dunn says, Dunn Studios might actually have a shot at snagging some key pieces of Vivendi's entertainment empire.
Bill gave Dunn a long look, a playful smirk creeping onto his face. "Dunn, you're not just after Universal Pictures and Blizzard, are you? Vivendi's entertainment assets are pretty tempting."
Dunn smiled back, dead serious. "Of course! If we're making a move, we're going big! I want Universal Pictures, Universal Music, and Blizzard Entertainment—all in one package! Universal Music's label is 'Universal'—I can't let it split from Universal Pictures. That century-old brand belongs in Hollywood!"