Blizzard and Legendary Pictures have announced that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct a movie based on Blizzard’s World Of Warcraft universe.

The Spider-Man trilogy and The Evil Dead director will team up with Charles Roven’s Atlus production team - whose body of work includes The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and 12 Monkeys – for the live action film.

“At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story,” said Raimi. “I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen.”

Blizzard’s chief operating officer, Paul Sams, added: “Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have a shared vision for this film and we searched at length to find the very best director to bring that vision to life. From our first conversation with Sam, we could tell he was the perfect choice. Sam knows how to simultaneously satisfy the enthusiasts and the mainstream audience that might be experiencing that content for the first time. We're looking forward to working with him to achieve that here.”

The movie will fall under Legendary Pictures’ co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Further details about the project, including cast and targeted release date, will be revealed as development progresses.