Amazon has confirmed that it will be creating a new TV and movie science fiction universe based on the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop games by Games Workshop.
It has signed exclusive rights to the franchise, which will lead to many video projects for its Prime Video streaming service, including some executive produced and even starring Henry Cavill (The Witcher).
The idea was first revealed last year, with Cavill himself posting on Instagram that a deal with Amazon was in the offing, and that he (as a huge Warhammer fan) was in the driving seat.
Now Games Workshop has confirmed that the contract has been signed and Warhammer 40K movies and TV shows are planned for Amazon Prime Video.
"We’ve now signed the full agreement and the next stage can begin," it said in a community post.
"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?!"
There's certainly a wealth of stories that can be told within such a massively detailed franchise. Warhammer 40,000 was first created as a tabletop wargame offshoot of the fantasy equivalent Warhammer in 1987. Since then, it has been expanded upon greatly, with hundreds of novels, video games, and rulebook revisions now available.
What made it unique at the time is that it combined the fantasy theme of Warhammer including orcs, goblins, and necromancy, with the high tech, spacefaring tropes of sci-fi. Oh and guns... many, many guns.
It also has its own style, with the Space Marines wearing thick, chunky armour. Indeed, the Gears of War gaming franchise owes much to Warhammer 40K.
It will certainly make for a visual feast when it finally does make it onto our screens via Amazon. However, don't expect it anytime soon – Games Workshop warns that it could take years yet: "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," it said.
We still can't wait though.
