Prime Video Developing Warhammer 40K TV & Films With Henry Cavill!
It’s been a crazy few months for Henry Cavill. First, he leaves his gig as Geralt on Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’. Then confirms he is back as Superman. Then, after a rollercoaster week at DC, he announces he is no longer Superman… Now he has a new job, which will see him star in AND exec produce a Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe for Prime Video!
For those of you who didn’t spend every weekend painting miniatures or in Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000 is an epic tabletop wargame set way into the grim darkness of the far future. Mighty armies clash on countless war-torn worlds and Humanity stands alone, beset on all sides by the threats of the heretic, the mutant and the alien.
Henry is, as I’m sure many of you know, a huge geek, and a MASSIVE fan of Warhammer. He teamed up with Vertigo Entertainment to secure the Warhammer 40,000 IP before taking it to Amazon Studios. Vertigo will executive produce with Cavill, Games Workshop’s Andy Smillie and Max Bottrill, and Amazon Studios. This deal covers the rights to the universe across TV series, film, and possibly games and animation too.
“For 30 years I have dreamt of seeing a Warhammer universe in live action. Now, after 22 years of experience in this industry, I finally feel that I have the skill set and experience to guide a Warhammer Cinematic Universe into life,” commented Cavill on social media. “Partnering with Natalie Viscuso at Vertigo has been a blessing beyond words, without her we might not have found the perfect home at Amazon. And having a home like Amazon will give us the freedom to be true to the massive scope of Warhammer. To all of you Warhammer fans out there, I promise to respect this IP that we love. I promise to bring you something familiar. And I endeavour to bring you something fantastic that is, as of yet, unseen.”
Many people were speculating that the reason Henry dropped out of ‘The Witcher’ was due to his Superman commitment, but that was not the case. This deal seems to have been in the works for a while and is far more likely to be the reason he chose to move on. Also, unlike ‘The Witcher’, Henry will be an exec producer, and will have some control over how the universe is developed.
“Warhammer 40,000 has captured the imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world,” adds Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “We are excited to work with Henry, Vertigo Entertainment, and Games Workshop across our Amazon entertainment businesses on this brilliant, immersive franchise for our global customers to experience for years to come.”
The first edition of Warhammer 40,000 was published 35yrs ago (yes, you are that old!), and has expanded across various media from its tabletop origins. There have been multiple hugely successful video games, along with comics, novels, and animated movies, alongside many spin-off tabletop games.
If you were feeling bad for Mr. Cavill losing the Superman job, don’t worry… I think he’s probably extremely happy with this latest development, and it should keep him busy for years to come. We’ll bring you more as we get it.
