After losing DC’s Superman and Netflix’s “The Witcher,” Henry Cavill is plunging right back into the world of genre entertainment, attaching himself to an adaptation of the popular tabletop game “Warhammer 40,000.”
Cavill will star in and executive produce the franchise for Amazon Prime Video, which acquired the global rights to the IP from Games Workshop. The agreement includes the “Warhammer 40,000” rights across film, TV and more, making it the first major acquisition of its kind for Amazon Studios. Games Workshop will continue making the popular mini-figures for the tabletop game.
“‘Warhammer 40,000’ is set 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,” the release says.
“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 honor and the responsibility,” Cavill said in a statement.
Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Natalie Viscuso worked with Cavill to obtain the “Warhammer 40,000” IP before taking it to Amazon Studios. Vertigo will executive produce with Cavill and Games Workshop’s Andy Smillie and Max Bottrill alongside Amazon Studios.
“’Warhammer 40,000′ has captured the imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world,” said 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.”