Henry Cavill WARHAMMER 40,000 Live-Action Franchise Gets Update, ‘Now Properly Rolling’

“Life comes at you fast.” Well, sometimes, it comes at you faster than a proverbial speeding bullet. That was certainly the case for Henry Cavill last year. In a whirlwind only Superman himself could keep up with, the actor quickly went from two high-profile jobs to none. First, he was back as the Man of Steel in the DCEU. But right after his cameo in Black Adam, he was out as Geralt of Rivia on Netflix’s The Witcher. Only, ultimately he was also out as Clark Kent. Don’t feel too badly for Cavill, though. Another idiom now applies to his roller-coaster career: all’s well that ends well. His next series will turn his personal passion into a paying gig. Henry Cavill will headline Amazon Studios’ Warhammer 40,000 live-action franchise. And a year after its announcement, we finally have an update on this project.

Henry Cavill looking at a tiny Warhammer model during his visit to Warhammer World
Henry Cavill

Amazon Studios Acquires Rights to Warhammer 40,000, Henry Cavill to Star and Produce Franchise

In December 2022, Amazon Studios confirmed the news was true. It acquired the rights to Games Workshop’s wildly popular miniature universe Warhammer 40,000. The deal includes future shows, movies, “and more.” The arrangement, a first-of-its-kind agreement, didn’t go small with its leading man. The newly available Cavill will both star in and executive produce the Warhammer franchise. Considering his well-established love for the hobby, it’s hard to think of anything that will help Henry Cavill overcome his disappointment at no longer being Superman.

“I have loved Warhammer since I was a boy, making this moment truly special for me. The opportunity to shepherd this cinematic universe from its inception is quite the honour and the responsibility,” said Cavill in a statement about joining the Warhammer world. “I couldn’t be more grateful for all the hard work put in by Vertigo, Amazon and Games Workshop to make this happen. One step closer to making a nigh-on lifelong dream come true.” 

Games Workshop Shares Cavill’s Live-Action Warhammer 40,000 World Is ‘Now Properly Rolling’

After a year of quiet about the project, we finally have some movement on Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 franchise. In a blog post, Games Workshop gave a very positive update about the current status of the live-action franchise.

It shared:

Back in December last year we announced Games Workshop and Amazon Studios had signed an agreement in principle to work together to bring the Warhammer 40,000 universe to screens, big and small.

Well, today we have an update, and it’s one we’ve all been longing to hear. We’ve now signed the full agreement and the next stage can begin!

Joyful news, indeed. No specifics on the Warhammer 40,000 projects were shared, but it sounds like both TV and movie outings are on the table. Games Workshop notes, “Now comes the fun part: working out all the creative details with our partners and getting the first script written and into production. What Warhammer 40,000 stories should we tell first? Should we kick off with a movie or a TV show? Both?!”

That sounds very ambitious, and we have a feeling that we’ll start with just one. But it will be in good hands because, “An elite band of screenwriters, each with their own particular passion for Warhammer, is being assembled to help bring the setting and characters you love to the screen. This illustrious group will be championed by Henry Cavill, who stands ready to take his place as executive producer – bringing his pen, sword and/or spear to the project.” Interestingly, Cavill is mentioned in his capacity as an executive producer, but not necessarily as an actor. We feel it’s still likely that Cavill will take his place as the star of one Warhammer 40,000 property or another. Who could be better?

In addition to this, Cavill himself recently shared, “Warhammer is progressing very well. Big things are happening, and we are very excited.” He also offered, “It is the greatest privilege of my professional career to have this opportunity… I can’t say too much, again, it’s early days, still. But to have this opportunity to bring it to the screen, and be at the tiller so it can be faithful, is key to me.”

It sounds like any Warhammer 40,000 projects will be in great hands with Cavill. We appreciate just how much the actor is excited. Cavill even has the videos of him nerding out over Warhammer miniatures to prove his love.

When Can We Expect a Warhammer 40,000 Movie or TV Series to Release?

Ultimately Games Workshop reminds us, “It’s not unusual for projects to take two to three years from this point before something arrives on screen. Still, things are now properly rolling, and you can bet we’ll bring you all the latest updates and cool snippets as soon as we’re able.”

More About Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer 40,000 takes place in the “far future, where humanity stands at the edge of what might be its brightest future, or its darkest age. The threats to humankind’s empire are many—traitors driven by the fires of ambition, alien empires sworn to reclaim the stars, and the corruption of reality by malevolent gods.”

Sounds like a place that could really use both a witcher and a super man. Now it has both. Congratulations to Cavill and all the other fans of the Warhammer 40,000 world.

Originally published on December 16, 2022.

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