10 Best Movies Like Warcraft

As the title suggests, Warcraft depicts two opposing sides of an impending war set in a fantasy world, and if one enjoys the movie and seeks more, several other films have similar themes, genres, characters, and everything in between. The 2016 action fantasy film, directed by Duncan Jones and written by Jones and Charles Leavitt, is based on the popular video game series of the same name. Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft was launched in 1994, and since then, all the games in the series have taken place in and around the world of Azeroth, featuring humans and orcs.

The cast of Warcraft worked hard to bring the video game series to life in 2016, but the movie still received negative reviews from critics and failed to break even at the box office (despite its record-breaking worldwide gross). Nevertheless, the action fantasy film was a hit among viewers, with Warcraft‘s Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes sitting at 76 percent. A planned Warcraft sequel was still scrapped, though, meaning that fans must look elsewhere to get their fix of the fantasy genre after watching and finishing Warcraft.

10 Willow

Directed By Ron Howard

After Warcraft‘s ending, one might be interested in Willow, a 1988 epic dark fantasy adventure film set in a fantasy world (Andowyne). The movie centers around Willow, an aspiring sorcerer, and Madmartigan, a mercenary, who come together to protect a baby from the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar. Queen Bavmorda learns of a prophecy that states the baby will be her downfall, so, she seeks to destroy the newborn.

Although it opened to mixed reviews, Willow became a fantasy cult classic and Disney+ even debuted a Willow sequel TV show in 2022 (which has since been removed from the streaming platform). Its world is similar to the one in Warcraft, and while Willow doesn’t feature an all-out war, it features high stakes that keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

9 Lord Of The Rings

Directed By Peter Jackson

Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the best film series to watch following Warcraft, given its fantasy setting of Middle-earth and high acclaim (and endless amount of media to consume in the entire franchise). Peter Jackson’s three Lord of the Rings movies are based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s book series of the same name, which was published in the mid-1950s. Lord of the Rings chronicles Frodo Baggins’, a hobbit, and his friends’ pursuit to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.

Lord of the Rings is one of the highest-grossing film series of all time, accumulating almost $3 billion over the course of its three movies. Its reputation speaks for itself and Lord of the Rings is a pinnacle franchise in the fantasy genre. Thankfully, the series has continued after The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King with The Hobbit films, an upcoming anime movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and more live-action films in development.

8 Harry Potter

Directed By Chris Columbus (1 & 2), Alfonso Cuarón (3), Mike Newell (4), David Yates (5, 6, 7, & 8)

The Harry Potter movie series, which consists of eight films, might not be as high fantasy as Warcraft as it partly takes place in the real world. However, in this version of the real world, there is also a hidden wizarding world featuring numerous fantastical creatures. The popular franchise is based on J.K. Rowling’s book series of the same name and features Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, a young wizard who is destined to be the one to defeat Lord Voldemort.

Similar to Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter franchise (or the Wizarding World franchise) is among the highest-grossing film series ever. With eight Harry Potter movies and three Fantastic Beasts films (a prequel trilogy) under its belt, the Wizarding World franchise has earned over $9.6 billion. Its success will continue as an HBO Harry Potter TV show is in development, and it will serve as a reboot of the franchise, with a new cast playing Harry, Ron, Hermione, and other iconic characters.

7 The Golden Compass

Directed By Chris Weitz

Like other options on this list (and Warcraft), Chris Weitz’s The Golden Compass is an adaptation of a previous work. The 2007 fantasy adventure film is based on Philip Pullman’s 1995 novel Northern Lights and depicts the journey of a tribe of seafarers, seeking to rescue a group of children. The Golden Compass is set in a world where each person’s soul exists outside of their body as a dæmon, an animal companion that is a physical manifestation of someone’s inner being. Unfortunately, a planned sequel was canceled, but the unfinished movie franchise is still worth watching for those who enjoyed Warcraft.

6 Godzilla

Directed By Gareth Edwards

Godzilla (2014)

Director

Gareth Edwards

Release Date

May 16, 2014

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures , Toho

Writers

Max Borenstein , David Callaham

Runtime

123 Minutes

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While many of the movies on this list are linked to Warcraft because they fall under the fantasy genre label, some are similar to Duncan Jones’ 2016 movie because of their action (and monster elements), including the 2014 film Godzilla. Of course, the Godzilla movie series contains several different flicks that can be watched after Warcraft. However, Godzilla (2014) is perhaps the best option as it debuted only two years before Warcraft, meaning it has similar visual effects techniques. Plus, it serves as a reboot, making it the ideal introduction to the franchise for new fans.

The Godzilla (2014) cast features Aaron Taylor-Johnson as U.S. Navy Lieutenant Ford Brody, a soldier who seeks to reunite with his family after a recently awakened Godzilla seeks revenge against MUTOs. Gareth Edwards’ movie received mostly positive reviews and grossed over $529 million against a budget of $160 million. Godzilla (2014) was the first installment in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise, which has since produced four sequels with another one on the way.

5 Clash Of The Titans

Directed By Louis Leterrier

The 2010 action fantasy film Clash of the Titans is a remake of the 1981 movie of the same name, which is loosely based on Perseus in Greek mythology. It falls under the same genres as Warcraft and, similar to the 2016 film, Clash of the Titans contains an equal balance of war and fantasy.

Clash of the Titans follows Sam Worthington as Perseus, the son of Zeus who finds himself in the middle of a civil war amongst the gods. Perseus then leads an army to the underworld to defeat Hades. For those intrigued by Greek mythology and who liked Warcraft, Clash of the Gods is the perfect movie to watch next (despite its unfavorable reviews as the action is worth the watch).

4 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Directed By Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is probably one of the most underrated movies of 2023, and it deserves its flowers. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics, the fantasy heist action comedy film severely underperformed at the box office, grossing only $208 million against a budget of $150 million. Nevertheless, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a must-watch for those who thoroughly enjoyed Warcraft because it contains similar high fantasy themes and mythical creatures. Plus, it’s also based on a game.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is an adaptation of the mega-popular tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The 2023 movie is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and follows Chris Pine as Edgin Davis, a bard and a thief, who leads a ragtag group of different beings on a quest to find a relic and reunite with his daughter. Of course, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ story and its ending are much more complicated than that, and one must watch it to learn more.

3 Mortal Engines

Directed By Christian Rivers

Mortal Engines

Director

Christian Rivers

Release Date

December 14, 2018

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

Cast

Frankie Adams , Robbie Sheehan , Colin Salmon , Hera Hilmar , Ronan Raftery , Stephen Lang , Jihae , Hugo Weaving

Runtime

128 Minutes

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Mortal Engines, based on Philip Reeve’s 2001 book of the same name, is a steampunk film set more than 1,000 years in the future in an apocalyptic world, decimated by a cataclysmic event. So, like Warcraft, the 2018 movie Mortal Engines is also a depiction of a fantasy world. However, in Mortal Engines, the future features motorized cities on wheels, which are called “Traction Cities,” and the world practices Darwinism by having the larger cities colonize the weaker settlements.

Hera Hilmar stars as Hester Shaw in the Mortal Engines cast, and Hester lives in Salzhaken, a small Bavarian mining town. Unfortunately, London, as one of the larger cities, absorbs Salzhaken, and Hester seeks to put an end to this heinous practice. Mortal Engines doesn’t contain the same mythical creatures as Warcraft, but its futuristic setting and action scenes are akin to Duncan Jones’ 2016 film.

2 Chronicles Of Narnia

Directed By Andrew Adamson (1 & 2) and Michael Apted (3)

Chronicles of Narnia is another successful fantasy film franchise that fans of Warcraft will likely also enjoy. The Chronicles of Narnia movie series is based on C.S. Lewis’ book series of the same name, depicting the Pevensie children discovering the magical world of Narnia that they can enter through their wardrobe. Narnia features a countless number of mythical creatures and wondrous sights, and the children are immediately enraptured by the world.

When the Pevensie children enter Narnia, they learn from a lion named Aslan that the White Witch has forced an endless winter on its inhabitants. Together, they join forces to defeat her. More than a decade after the original film series’ success, Greta Gerwig is set to direct new Chronicles of Narnia movies for Netflix. Unfortunately, not much is known about the future films, but given Gerwig’s impressive track record, the franchise is in good hands.

1 Rampage

Directed By Brad Peyton

Rampage

Director

Brad Peyton

Release Date

April 13, 2018

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Writers

Carlton Cuse , Ryan Condal

Cast

Joe Manganiello , Malin Akerman , Dwayne Johnson , Matt Gerald , Will Yun Lee , Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Naomie Harris

Runtime

1h 47m

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The final best movie to watch after Warcraft is Rampage, which stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye, a primatologist and the head of an anti-poaching unit. The 2018 science fiction monster film is a loose adaptation of Midway Games’ video game series of the same name, which features players taking on a human-turned-monster role and destroying cities, trying not to get caught along the way. However, the movie Rampage is nothing like the game (but still contains various references to its inspiration).

In Rampage, Johnson’s Davis teams up with a gorilla named George, who continuously grows due to an after-effect from an experiment gone wrong. Together, they attempt to stop other mutated creatures like George from destroying Chicago. Rampage is more grounded in the real world than Warcraft, but it contains elements of war and strange creatures, making it an ideal watch for those who loved the 2016 action fantasy film.