Agreement with Amazon for films and television series

[skylerboodie]

10 December 2024

 

Games Workshop Group PLC

("Games Workshop" or the "Company")

 

Agreement with Amazon for films and television series

 

Further to its announcement on 18 December 2023, Games Workshop is pleased to announce that it has

now agreed creative guidelines and reached a final agreement with Amazon Content Services LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., ("Amazon") for the adaption of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe into films and television series, together with associated merchandising rights.

 

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 any initial Warhammer 40,000 production.

 

Production processes in respect of films and television series may take a number of years.

 

The Company makes no change to its forecast for the 52 week period ending 1 June 2025.

 

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/GAW/agreement-with-amazon-for-films-and-tv-series/16803258

[Marshal Rohr]

Can’t wait to see this secret level episode. 

[Petitioner's City]

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AaLcJCbjt/

 

 

 

[System Sound]

Hopefully the quality will be more like the Boys/Invincible rather than Wheel of Time/Rings of Power...

[Vassakov]

So, presumably they'll now move into production with scripting, casting and outline design. However, easily 18 months to two years before this hits, assuming it does.

 

Henry is clearly a driving force on this though, so fingers crossed...

 

Edit: interestingly, Henry's post tags Amazon and AmazonMGM, not Warhammer or GW, so is he leading from the studio aide then?

Edited December 10 by Vassakov

[Xenith]

Great news, and probably a eason behind their stock jump. Of all things, I think they have to keep this grounded in the human experience in the Imperium, for some reason I'm thinking Necromunda.

[Brother Carpenter]

need that beanie hat

[Vassakov]

https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/c2ngqfgb/major-update-on-amazon-studios-warhammer-stories/

 

Warcomm announcement too. Actually seems fairly big if they're talking about "projects".

[mecanojavi99]

Do we know if said projects are going to be live action or animation?

 

Because I'm firmly of the opinion that 40K is one of those settings than can only be done justice in animated form.

 

A Horus Heresy series in the style of the Clone Wars is one of my wet dreams.

 

Also, let's hope GW and Amazon learn from what happened to the Warcraft movie when they decide to tackle Fantasy, the Total War series has proven that there is certainly a demand for stories in that setting, I would hate it to go the way of the supposed Warcraft movie universe.

Edited December 10 by mecanojavi99

[Chapter Master Valrak]

Are you sure this is real? The other YouTube channels told me he walked away 35 times and burnt his Custodes army in his backgarden.

Edited December 10 by Chapter Master Valrak

[ZeroWolf]

So...how long before Valrak pops in with the Goldblum gif then 

 

Fantastic news though, now we just have to wait till we get stirrings on what they're bringing to the screen and if Henry is going to get in front of the camera or might try his hand behind it.

 

2 years out though till it arrives seems like the least I was thinking more 3.

[Chapter Master Valrak]

15 minutes ago, ZeroWolf said:

So...how long before Valrak pops in with the Goldblum gif then 

 

That's reserved for models, I did think at one stage it was off but my main whisper said its all contract talk! So glad it turned out to be that, we're talking billions of pounds of investment going into this now.

[Domhnall]

24 minutes ago, ZeroWolf said:

So...how long before Valrak pops in with the Goldblum gif then 

 

Fantastic news though, now we just have to wait till we get stirrings on what they're bringing to the screen and if Henry is going to get in front of the camera or might try his hand behind it.

 

2 years out though till it arrives seems like the least I was thinking more 3.

 

I'm not believing it until Valrak confirms it's real 

That's his disclaimer in all his videos I'm sure.... "Nothing is real until Valrak tells you it's real" or something very similar to that 

I wonder how long they've been waiting to announce this on the same day as the Secret Level short being made available, or is it just happy coincidence? 

[Marshal Loss]

Thoroughly enjoyed the Secret Level short, so pleased to see this announced on the same day!

[UtariOnzo]

Glad the ragebait grifters of Youtube got proven wrong (not you Valrak) and this project is moving forward, will be some time before we get any concrete news about specifics though I’m sure

[Joe]

Positive news if the investment and production is UK-focused; the film / television industry has been entering a new boom over here. They just opened new production facilities up the road in Birmingham.

[ZeroWolf]

3 minutes ago, UtariOnzo said:

Glad the ragebait grifters of Youtube got proven wrong (not you Valrak) and this project is moving forward, will be some time before we get any concrete news about specifics though I’m sure

Wonder if any of them are going to issue an apology, or will they try and twist it to a victory for them somehow...before starting videos every month about how Henry is walking away still.

[Redcomet]

48 minutes ago, mecanojavi99 said:

Do we know if said projects are going to be live action or animation?

 

Because I'm firmly of the opinion that 40K is one of those settings than can only be done justice in animated form.

 

A Horus Heresy series in the style of the Clone Wars is one of my wet dreams.

 

Also, let's hope GW and Amazon learn from what happened to the Warcraft movie when they decide to tackle Fantasy, the Total War series has proven that there is certainly a demand for stories in that setting, I would hate it to go the way of the supposed Warcraft movie universe.

It will be a mixture is my guess. Definitely think they will at least attempt one live action project 

[Robbienw]

Please let it be good, please let it be good, please let it be good

Edited December 10 by Robbienw

[redmapa]

I hope something good comes out of this and I hope that it isn't too sanitized, the core of 40k is it's over the top, campy, absurd, ultraviolent and grim, it's heavy metal in both the music and the magazine! If it's taking itself too serious then it's a failure, Mad Max is able walk that fine line of fun absurdity and violence while building a world that feels lived in, that should be this projects north star and I hope they nail it, an animated project would be the best medium for this imo.

[DukeLeto69]

All those clickbaiters across social media failed to acknowledge the big difference between Amazon negotiating with GW vs negotiating with an author or their estate. The power balance is totally different.
 

Clearly Amazon are bigger than GW but GW are still a hugely successful large company whose very existence, success, and longevity is based on their IP. No way the CEO would be allowed to screw that up for investors.

 

Negotiating the creative guidelines (and presumably ultimate sign off on project) was key to this and it took time.

 

While IP guardians and lawyers have been working on that, the creatives under Cavill as Exec Prod have clearly been mapping out how to bring this universe to life, ie a roadmap of projects, likely to use something more accessible as the entry point for general public. My money is still on Eisenhorn (long in development with Frank Spotnitz and Big Light Productions but subsumed by this bigger Amazon deal).

[ZeroWolf]

1 minute ago, DukeLeto69 said:

All those clickbaiters across social media failed to acknowledge the big difference between Amazon negotiating with GW vs negotiating with an author or their estate. The power balance is totally different.
 

Clearly Amazon are bigger than GW but GW are still a hugely successful large company whose very existence, success, and longevity is based on their IP. No way the CEO would be allowed to screw that up for investors.

 

Negotiating the creative guidelines (and presumably ultimate sign off on project) was key to this and it took time.

 

While IP guardians and lawyers have been working on that, the creatives under Cavill as Exec Prod have clearly been mapping out how to bring this universe to life, ie a roadmap of projects, likely to use something more accessible as the entry point for general public. My money is still on Eisenhorn (long in development with Frank Spotnitz and Big Light Productions but subsumed by this bigger Amazon deal).

I think Eisenhorn is a good bet, along with Cain as someone above mentioned. I'd also love Gaunt's Ghosts as well.

[DukeLeto69]

1 hour ago, ZeroWolf said:

Wonder if any of them are going to issue an apology, or will they try and twist it to a victory for them somehow...before starting videos every month about how Henry is walking away still.

Weirdly all that negative clickbait noise provided two benefits to GW/Amazon:

 

1. No news is bad news. It was all free marketing. People were talking about it. That is free publicity which is gold dust.

 

2. GW likely leveraged the protective passion of the fanbase as evidence to support their position on the IP and creative guidelines, ie “we can’t mess with the IP as it will screw up our entire company revenue streams and longevity!”

[DukeLeto69]

2 minutes ago, ZeroWolf said:

I think Eisenhorn is a good bet, along with Cain as someone above mentioned. I'd also love Gaunt's Ghosts as well.

Wishlisting for me:

 

Start with:

1. Eisenhorn TV mini/limited series (one season for each book moving on to Ravenor then Bequin)

 

followed by:

 

2. An anthology TV series (to cover the breadth of W40k)

 

then:

 

3. Gaunts Ghosts TV series (long running Band of Brothers style)

4. A Space Marine based TV series. Probably Deathwatch so you get clashing cultures etc

 

then:

 

5. Horus Heresy film trilogy

6. Horus Heresy TV series covering wider events

[ZeroWolf]

I think we'll get something Horus Hersey related at some point, it's too big of a thing to ignore. Might just need a project before it to bridge into it. Definitely has potential to be a game of thrones style deal. Maybe animated to the same quality as the Secret Level short.

 

Going to be a long wait now till we discover what Project one is.