Untapped cinematic potential

[andrewbioform]

I wanted to chat with you all about the growing cinematic presence of our beloved universe. Specifically, I'd like to highlight how the Pariah Nexus series and other upcoming projects have the potential to attract a wider audience, including those who may not be tabletop gamers or miniature painters.

The Pariah Nexus series, in particular, has been a fascinating step forward. It showcases the ability of Warhammer 40k to tell compelling stories that appeal to a broader demographic. The impressive visuals and engaging narratives have managed to draw in folks who might not have explored the intricacies of the tabletop hobby before.

One thing that truly stands out about Warhammer 40k is its rich lore. It's an expansive and intricate universe (seriously, there are over 500+ books breaking down the lore of this game, imagine this content put into a series format) that can capture the interest of a diverse audience. Whether you're into the politics, the religious aspects, the epic scale of conflict or simply like ORKKKKKKKKS, there's something within this lore for everyone.

Now, shifting gears a bit, let's talk about the upcoming Amazon series starring Henry Cavill. It's a project that's generating quite a buzz, and understandably so. Having an actor of Cavill's caliber involved in the Warhammer 40k universe is an exciting prospect. It opens up possibilities for epic battles, intriguing characters, and stunning visuals that could make our heads spin. I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing how this series unfolds, and I'm sure many of you are as well. If you are interested in this subject I have also created a post here https://www.adeptusars.com/news/epic-battles-endless-lore-why-warhammer-40000-is-destined-for-cinematic-greatness .

Lore is what got me into this hobby. I'm not really the type of guy to read lots of books, but Warhammer really gets me going. Probably one of my favourite parts of this universe, it also adds to the painting experience (like, next time you paint a miniature try listening to an audio book talking about it and it's history, or a youtube video, suddenly Mephiston becomes even more badass, somehow).

What are your thoughts on this? I have a strong feeling that if the upcoming amazon series has good animation, is gonna be a hit, and for good reason.
tldr: Warhammer+ is good but... Imagine if this was available to a wider audience. Nobody outside the Warhammer universe knows about Warhammer+, but the content on it could appeal a bigger audience. The lore is just that good.

[TrawlingCleaner]

=][= I've shifted this over to the Amicus, as it's a better fit here =][=

[Toxichobbit]

Rather than repeat what I wrote elsewhere, I'll link to a post I did that covered this topic (and a chunk of other stuff) not too long ago. The section titled MCU is the one that will probably be of the most interest to you.

 

To cut a long story short. GW are aware of the cinematic potential of 40k and have been for a while. Likely well before Warhammer+. But these things take a long time to get set up, especially with an unproven franchise like 40k. If GW can get their first attempt right, whether that's the possible Amazon series or something else, then it will snowball from there. But if they get it wrong then chances are it'll be a good decade before they can try again, at which point they'll have probably missed the cinematic universe fad and technological advancements may have made selling miniatures as a business model obsolete. So I firmly believe that 40k doesn't have untapped cinematic potential, but rather cinematic potential that is being tapped very slowly & carefully, because a screw up of that magnitude could break the company.

[Ahzek451]

18 minutes ago, Toxichobbit said:

Rather than repeat what I wrote elsewhere, I'll link to a post I did that covered this topic (and a chunk of other stuff) not too long ago. The section titled MCU is the one that will probably be of the most interest to you.

 

To cut a long story short. GW are aware of the cinematic potential of 40k and have been for a while. Likely well before Warhammer+. But these things take a long time to get set up, especially with an unproven franchise like 40k. If GW can get their first attempt right, whether that's the possible Amazon series or something else, then it will snowball from there. But if they get it wrong then chances are it'll be a good decade before they can try again, at which point they'll have probably missed the cinematic universe fad and technological advancements may have made selling miniatures as a business model obsolete. So I firmly believe that 40k doesn't have untapped cinematic potential, but rather cinematic potential that is being tapped very slowly & carefully, because a screw up of that magnitude could break the company.

This. Many times this. It just takes forever to move these things. The Niche aspect also pigeon holes it into a particular audience, which is partly why I think GW is moving slowly away from Grimdark. (not completely, but its been noticable for the last decade).(be careful here GW). Not to mention the chaotic state that the film industry in general is going through in current times, meaning it could be the best time to be mainstream or the worst time. 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Ahzek451

[Grotsmasha]

I think it's really summed up well in The Painting Phases' vid with Louise, where they lament just how ..... fearful? ..... GW leadership can be when it comes to risk.

[Bung]

It is their second attempt to get into Entertainment with the 40k universe.

 

Remember the 2010 Ultramarines movie 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarines:_A_Warhammer_40,000_Movie

[Grotsmasha]

1 hour ago, Bung said:

It is their second attempt to get into Entertainment with the 40k universe.

 

Remember the 2010 Ultramarines movie 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarines:_A_Warhammer_40,000_Movie

I own that DVD, and watch it every 2 years or so. It's a shame the BloodQuest project never got anywhere.

[Emperor Ming]

No body wants to remember that

 

Movie, is stretching the term

[Doghouse]

I think that one thing to consider is (while the majority who post here will be fans) how well the universe would translate into the mainstream. Pariah has been excellent so far but very much targeting the fans with little explanation needed as to who is who and what is going on.

If they go ahead with the inquisitor live action Amazon show that might be a better introduction but I'm not convinced 40k would thrive as much as we'd hope.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Doghouse

[Bung]

3 hours ago, Doghouse said:

I think that one thing to consider is (while the majority who post here will be fans) how well the universe would translate into the mainstream. Pariah has been excellent so far but very much targeting the fans with little explanation needed as to who is who and what is going on.

If they go ahead with the inquisitor live action Amazon show that might be a better introduction but I'm not convinced 40k would thrive as much as we'd hope.

 

 

 

There are a lot Sci Fi Books Adapter which were called unfilmable a decade ago or reworked Sci Fi series that got a following.

The Expanse, Foundation, the "new" Battlestar Galaktica Series, Firefly etc. all did a good job showing / building the universe in the first episodes or seasons so i wouldnt dismiss it.

You wont get a deepsive like we Fans got with all the codiziis, rulebooks, novels etc.

 

The question is, what direction the writers etc. will take.

[Doghouse]

I agree, I certainly don't think 40k is impossible to put on film and there is certainly lots of background material to draw on but I question whether the subject matter will take off significantly enough outside of the fanbase and whether that fanbase is enough to sustain it if it doesn't.

 

My personal belief is (despite being a massive fan for getting on for nearly four decades now) I don't think we'll see much beyond Eisenhorn if it happens and personally think it's unlikely we'll ever see a big cinematic release. 

 

I'll gladly and willingly hopefully be proven wrong by a gloriously successful series in the future but personally speaking I don't think I will in this case.

[Mechanicus Tech-Support]

Just to add on top of how long these things can take the halo tv show was in development hell for around 12 years, rumored back in 2008ish. Was gonna be a movie, then a movie series and then we got the tv show finally in 2022

Edited October 3, 2023 by Mechanicus Tech-Support

[Rain]

40k can very easily veer into camp and unintentional comedy with stern looking bald men in power armor yelling things like "glory is eternal!" while swinging chainswords. This is on top of the universe being extremely dense with lore, with concepts such as the Emperor/Imperium, the Chaos Gods, warp travel, the nature of Space Marines, who the relevant xenos/Chaos antagonist is etc. all being key concepts to understand before most stories set in the 40k universe makes much sense.

 

Given modern movie/show trends, I think that by far the most likely case would be a story following an Inquisitor and his/her retinue as @Doghouse alludes to. This allows for a relatively relatable human protagonist with a diverse cast filled out with an Imperial priest, stormtrooper, maybe a Sororita, and even a CGI monkey comic relief character to copy Rocket from GotG.  This fits the "whacky band goes on adventures in space" template that would be familiar to general audiences. They can handwave warp travel by just quickly explaining it as "hyperspace but dangerous" and don't have to explain much about how Space Marine chapters work, or portray the weird monastic practices of Astartes as the protags would all be future-humans. The antagonists can also be human, as the protags can be investigating a Chaos cult that looks to corrupt an Imperial world.

 

They could even make the central protag a radical Inquisitor who opposes all of the "mean" elements of the Imperium, and has to confront a more puritan Inquisitor who wants to just exterminatus the world in question, and call it a day. At the end, the puritan Inquisitor will turn out to have been Chaos corrupted the whole time. What a twist. Modern moviemaking at its finest.

[Noserenda]

I like the idea @Rain but i think Rogue traders always work better than Inquisitors for this kind of thing, all the advantages with almost none of the problems Inquisitors bring, from the name the baggage brings to the script writing issues of theoretically unlimited power, there's a reason the first edition of 40k is named the way it is after all, Rogue traders can do anything and they can rise and fall in power a lot more dynamically from Firefly to Succession (Which ive not seen but its dynastic power struggles right?)  even within the same series easily enough and especially makes special episodes or arcs dealing with various xenos even easier.

I doubt 40k will ever go particularly mainstream, its a niche IP but its a verrrrry well known one in the niche, i suspect the pandemic surge was a high water mark, but then people definitely said that about Marvel with Spiderman/Xmen :D 

[MegaVolt87]

Eh if this falls over with the cinematic universe, I'll still be  happy with an anime series of a mecha about a knight house etc. GW can do this now, they just need a bigger budget for its current stable of shows. They should also do more comic series via BL, those could also be adapted to series based on reception. The Calgar one was well recieved I think. Trick to the Inquisition portrayal, they need to be persecuting the inhuman that corrupts humans, so this means GSC, possesed psykers etc vs murking normal civies with shotgun Arbitaes at an independence rally wanting to be independent from the Imperium.