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Henry Cavill Warhammer 40k series

  • Benjamin Hayward

    I'm sure you've all heard by now: the perpetually jilted and criminally mistreated Henry Cavill is working on a Warhammer 40k show to be aired on (but apparently and thankfully not produced by) Amazon Prime.

    I don't understand how studios have kept dropping the ball with this guy, as he's the total package when it comes to a star: he's handsome, in peak physical shape, a great actor, passionate about the roles he takes, and is loves by the fans on camera and off!  How has a studio not just said, "let's take this guy and use him to print money."??

    Whatever.  He's producing, and the way I hear it the gal he's dating is the head of the company that secured the rights to 40k (smartly before going to Amazon).

    Knowing a real fan is in control gives me hope.  After seeing so many established, well-loved franchises left lying face down in the dirt by the big studios, I think I feel something I haven't felt in years: a tiny glimmer of hope!

  • Grumpy Gnome
    A “there are no good guys as per official GW” Grimdark 40k Movie that brings the satirical “there is only war” British IP to mainstream international audiences…. What could possibly go wrong?

    Much as I like Cavill, and I do highly rate him, I can not see this project ending up as anything other than like the World of Warcraft movie… or perhaps the Mutant Chronicles movie.
     
    Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed both of the Judge Dredd movies (although I did prefer Karl Urban’s take)  but I hate the idea of people getting confused and thinking Space Marines and the Imperium are actually heroes and somehow noble. It just reminds me too much of some folks (and some cops in particular) thinking Judge Dredd (or the Punisher) is a role model. Too many folks overlooked the satirical aspect of the Dredd universe. 

    But maybe I am wrong. Maybe it will be a Brazil like satire that points out the inherent problems of fascism, bigotry, xenophobia, religious extremism, cultural ignorance and non-critical thinking. 

     

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  • NA

    Well after the Chernobyl tier disasters that were Wheel of Time, and Rings of Power, I'm not exactly expecting anything beyond horrible.

    @Grumpy Gnome 

    Funny you mention the second Judge Dredd movie. The head of Rebellion (who bought the IP after the first movie) mentions in this interview is actually very protective about the IP when its licensed out, and has an explicit requirement he keep the bloody helmet on, because the company considers it English cultural heritage. It's an attitude I'd love to see more IP holders take.

  • Grumpy Gnome

    Keeping the helmet on was a key part of the success for me. And I think it helped prove a lead can still do brilliant job with their face obscured. I really do not understand why so many producers/directors ignore this. 

    There is quite the discussion about this 40k show over on Dakka Dakka...

    https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/808065.page

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  • GM

    @Grumpy Gnome As an none GW person, I strangely  would like to see a good Warhamer 40,000, so my heart says, all the best to them. (There`s always room for more Si/Fi, particulary if its reasonable). But my mind says GW will royally screw it up, like most things they do, with "Greed" and lets have everything on the screen,  being the main frame. 

    Interesting times we shall see.

  • E

    Wait, did GW change hands or did somebody buy film rights?

    0 likes
  • Grumpy Gnome

    It looks like Cavill negotiated the rights with Vertigo to be executive producer with GW oversight. 

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  • Benjamin Hayward

    @Grumpy Gnome You're not wrong, but it can totally work if done right.

    40k, 2000ad...hell, a lot of British IPs feature anti-heroes that people love, and in a strange way, come to identify with.  That's also true of a lot of American stuff, too: Clint Eastwood westerns, and as you pointed out, the Punisher.  Just because a character isn't a paragon of righteousness and morality, doesn't mean he or she can't carry a story.  Sometimes I want clear-cut, black-and-white good guys vs. bad guys, and sometimes I want to see a bad guy take on worse guys.  Dredd is everything I hate about the police and authoritarianism, but I frigging love him.  Plus, for my money, characters with some darkness to them tend to be more interesting than the "boy scouts."

    I think a "the humans are the goodest-good guys" approach would terrible, but I also think no one (well, no one who's a fan of 40k and knows what it's about) wants that version.  I hope that's not the version we get.

    Cavill's been a fan for decades, reads the books, and knows the lore.  It's well-known that he had to fight the writers of the Witcher to keep some semblance of loyalty to the source material in that show; that's a stand-up thing to do.  The man just wants to give the fans what they want, because he is one, and if he's in charge, he's got a better shot at keeping the writers and directors on the straight-and-narrow.

    Lord, please don't make me have to eat my words! 😆

  • NA

    I think a " humans are the goodest-good guys" approached could work if they made it clear it's a narrator bias thing, but Amazon projects are broken from basic casting so I'd have no confidence they could pull it off.

  • MD

    If you need a sympatheic hero, 40K is big enough for that. It just won't be at the big end of town. It may be worth looking to Aliens; the enemy is feral and lethal, but the powers that be are corrupt and cynical. That still leaves room for a Ripley.

  • Grumpy Gnome

    While I like anti-heroes as a concept, certainly more than Mrs. GG does, I am a bit tired of edgy, cynical dystopias. Andor surprised me by convincing me to enjoy a show I thought I would dislike. I liked the Punisher until the Bernthal version, and his version ended up getting getting some cop fan boys looking at him as if he was a hero to emulate. 

    I hate when people cite 24 and Jack Bauer as why “enhanced interrogation techniques” are necessary.

     

    I understand the allure of “cool bad guys”. I find it entertaining to see Pinhead punish evil doers. Or watching Klingons fight Nazis and Hirogen (Voyager). Both Little GG and I love the Imperial March from Star Wars. I could watch Karl Urban as  Dredd for at least 10 seasons in a tv series if it had decent writing to go with his amazing acting. I cheer for the Predators when they hunt Xenomorphs. 

    My concern is that the satirical aspects of 40k get all too often lost. Too many people see the Space Marines not as a cautionary tale but as something to aspire to.

     

    EDIT:

    I will say this, given my love/hate relationship with 40k… I wish Cavill to consult with Dr. Mathias over on Lead Adventure on how to create a vision of life in the 40k Imperium.

    https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=102436.735

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  • GM

    @Grumpy Gnome The maxim, absolute power currupts, could not be more factual, in both the portrail  of Star Wars and 40,000, but even star wars got some light and good viewing. Lets hope @Benjamin Hayward  does not have to eat is own words. I`d like to get a half decent 40,000  only the passing of time will tell us, as long as to many cooks don`t jump in, perhaps theres a slim chance, and thats better than none at all.

    Every one says Cavill is no push over, he may just get the right persentage filmed, it could be a "Good Dredd  style movie, we`ll see?.

  • ADC

    They could take inspiration from Ciapas Cain's novels, were the protagonist isn't a saint, but neither a fascist bully, only an(improbable) hero, that try (successfully) to survive in an universe of madness, being for his same admission, a coward turned hero. After all this universe it's so big that there are so many opportunities for different characters.

    P.s. I saw either The Wheel of Time and The Rings of power and both weren't so bad as some people says, the latter has the problem of concentrate too many centuries in few yrs, but if you look to disasters such as Cursed or The Irregulars of B. Street, the formers are surely better.

  • Grumpy Gnome

    It could well be the story of an Imperial Inquisitor with the best of intentions who figures out just how messed up the Imperium really is... and tries to do good despite the obstacles put in front of them.... but I doubt it.

    Both Mrs. GG and I thought Rings of Power was flawed but watchable however we thought Wheel of Time was abysmal. 

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  • Benjamin Hayward

    As bad as the Imperium is, let's not swing too hard at them - after all, literally every faction is as bad or worse.  But yeah, it's funny how characters that are meant as satire of, or even kinda warnings against, certain types of behavior wind up being unironically admired.  

    On another note, Trazyn the Infinite could host a show akin to Rod Serling's "Night Gallery," where he's walking through his planet-museum showing all the displays, and he picks one to tell tonight's story about.  😆 That'd be awesome!

    A call-in show a la NPRs "Car Talk" where a Tech Priest takes questions about repairing this or that machine, and basically all his answers boil down to "Burn some incense and pray to it." 😝

  • GM

    @Alessio De Carolis @Grumpy Gnome @Benjamin Hayward If you want a totally different black comedy horror. Please all do yourselves a big favor, and watch "IZombie", on Netflix, it`s a good show, not to dark, great acting by the lead, and a good laugh. We are very happy Blitzing it, and the wine and popcorn are flowing.

  • E

    I personally liked the Warhammer TV shows which GW made, and if those are any inspiration, it can't be that bad. I have no clue who Henry Cavill is, admittedly, but even a fan could mess it up (I know I would). GW also seems to be moving closer and closer to a less grimdark world, which might affect this project.

  • Grumpy Gnome

    Well tonight I came across this... 40k coming of age teen adventure stories. 


    GW is not being very consistent in its application of grimdark it would seem.

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  • William Ings

    @Grumpy Gnome I got those for my nephew, they are still fairly grimdark. It's a lot like Rim of the World on Netflix, lots of death, but never too gruesome. 

    A youth catered horror show would make a good edition to a 40kCU. And if they are as good as Rim of the World, I think it would be good for all ages.

    If you like alien invasion flicks, Rim of the World is a fun watch if you haven't seen it.

    The review of the book is hearsay from my brother, nephew and the internet, I haven't read them myself.

  • MD

    I think if they stick to small, hard won victories they'll be fine. Even ones where no one makes it out alive, or only a handful are left, Seven Samurai style. 

    Working with the enemy against a worse enemy also has potential. 

  • ADC

    @Geoff Maybury I watched the WHOLE serie with my late father, and liked it! And normally I don't like zombies' stories, too anquish, but it was a really well done show.

  • GM

    @Alessio De Carolis Glad you enjoyed it Eileen and myself find it so different to the usual "Zombie program" It`s got a class of it`s own and the twists and plot changes are great. As late finders we are just to go Series 2 so much more to explore.

  • Grumpy Gnome

    This is from 11 months ago but worth watching for this discussion…. Cavill talking about 40k in various different interviews. It gives some insight into what he may be inclined to make for the show.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Lrr2uS6t8

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