A new rumor claims that Games Workshop and Amazon are “entirely content” to let Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40K live-action TV or film project die.
A screenshot from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (2024), Focus Entertainment
In Games Workshop’s 2024 Annual Report, the company seemingly confirmed a rumor from YouTuber Arch who claimed in June, “Right now, the agreement in principle between Games Workshop and Amazon appears to be in effect. This means that a team at Amazon a team of writers is right now trying to write out a story that is going to be turned into the Warhammer 40k television show. They have, I believe, a few more months on this deadline for this project and they have to hand it in and then it either has to be greenlit, or they have to have their writing date further postponed in the hope that they can produce something better further down the line, or the entire project will be shelved.”
He added, “Those are the three opportunities. Either they’ll have a project they’ll go ahead with, they’ll shelve the whole thing, or they will extend the deadline to try and get a decent product going. In other words nothing is finalized yet. Absolutely nothing. There isn’t even any money for the project allocated as far as my insider can tell on Amazon’s behalf. No writing staff has been truly hired. No money has been truly allocated. No plans have been truly made.”
In the company’s Annual Reporter it stated, “Games Workshop and Amazon are working together for a period of 12 months, ending in December 2024, to agree [to] creative guidelines for the films and television series to be developed by Amazon. The agreement will only proceed if the creative guidelines are mutually agreed between Games Workshop and Amazon. We will update you accordingly.”
The report also detailed that if things do go well, Amazon has the rights to develop Warhammer Fantasy as well. It states, “Under the terms of the agreement, Games Workshop has granted exclusive rights to Amazon in relation to films and television series set within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, together with an option for Amazon to license equivalent rights in the Warhammer Fantasy universe following the release of the initial Warhammer 40,000 production.”
A screenshot from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Anniversary Edition (2011), Relic Entertainment
Now, Arch provided an update, where he shared, “It has been complete radio silence on the matter of the TV show ever since we had the last update the last time around. It appears as if both Amazon and Games Workshop are entirely content to just let the project die, honestly.”
He added, “Even with a 1-month extension into January nothing seems to have been produced. Still no money is allocated. Still no accounts have been created. Still no contracts have been signed etc, etc…”
Arch did provide details on Henry Cavill’s role with the project. It was previously announced back in December 2023 that Cavill would be championing a group of screenwriters to bring a Warhammer 40K project to live-action and he would be serving as Executive Producer.
Games Workshop stated in a blog post, “All we can tell you right now is that 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.”
As for when the first project might arrive, Games Workshop detailed, “TV and Film production is a mammoth undertaking. 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.”
Enola Holmes 2. Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes. Cr. Alex Bailey/Netflix © 2022
In Arch’s most recent update, he shared, “[Henry Cavill’s] influence is likely extraordinarily limited if he has any influence in the matter at all at the moment.”
He makes this conclusion given “he doesn’t have an employment contract with Amazon or Games Workshop merely the promise that if the product ever actually goes through he will have a role in it.”
Henry Cavill via Josh Horowitz YouTube
While Arch claims there has been radio silence since the last update, he did provide some information on the negotiations up to that point.
He shared, “Both sides have concessions. The female Custodes thing, for example, was almost guaranteed, in my opinion, a move on behalf of Games Workshop to placate Amazon or demonstrate to them what would happen if they were to push for female Space Marines. Massive outcry that is. And to hammer it home to them that, yeah, this is not going to be a very good idea.”
Arch continued, “Meanwhile, of course, Amazon has their diversity quotas and they also want the Space Marines. They’re not really interested in an Imperial Guard show, I’d reckon, because they’re not the poster child even if an Imperial Guard show would be, well, one, cheaper, two, more easily relatable, and three, goddamn just make a movie out of Ciaphas Cain, goddamnit. Henry Cavill as Ciaphas Cain would work so goddamn well.”
As for Amazon’s concessions, he noted, “They did give Games Workshop the account access, for example, to flag various items on Amazon’s websites … to take down things that GW were of the opinion were in violation of their trademark.”
Tyrith Shiva Kyrus in The Tithes Episode 2 (2024), Games Workshop
As for why there is current radio silence and no movement, Arch shared, “It may be that Games Workshop got a little bit uppity and decided to demand that their own authors be allowed to create the screenplay.”
“Again, the Black Library authors are excellent book writers, but they have no business writing screenplays and Amazon probably knows that and Amazon probablys knows it can’t really afford another big flop here,” he added.
Tyrith Shiva Kyrus in The Tithes Episode 2 (2024), Games Workshop
Arch then concluded, “Right now, I would say that the probabilities lean more towards the entire thing being dead than it ever being green lit.”
What do you make of this latest rumor regarding the announced Warhammer 40k live-action project from Henry Cavill?
