Mike Flanagan Teases an Unexpected Start for Cavill's Warhammer 40K Show
In the grim darkness of the far future, there are only spoilers. And Mike Flanagan is not sharing them.
Henry Cavill's Warhammer 40,000 series just got its first real update in months. Writer Mike Flanagan says the team has found "a very cool and unexpected on-ramp" into the massive sci-fi setting, though he won't say what it is (Collider).
"Henry Cavill would be furious if I divulged anything about what we're working on," Flanagan said. "I'm sworn to secrecy on all of it, but I'm having the time of my life working on it."
Why is Warhammer 40,000 so hard to adapt?
Flanagan pointed to the sheer size of the universe. Warhammer 40,000 has around 700 novels, plus decades of tabletop lore and video games, so there's no single obvious story to start with. That's why his comment about an "unexpected on-ramp" stands out, because it suggests the show won't simply open on the most famous heroes of the setting, like the Ultramarines or the Emperor's own sons, and will find a smaller door into the story first.
What do we know about the Warhammer 40,000 series?
The project is in development for Prime Video, with Cavill attached as a star and producer. Flanagan's involvement went public in July, when Games Workshop's financial update said the first outlines were finished and scripts were next. Cavill confirmed in August that he's still on board, but there's no release date yet (GamesRadar+).
Is Mike Flanagan a good fit for Warhammer?
My read is that Flanagan is a smart pick. His Netflix shows, like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, are full of dread, faith and people breaking under pressure, and those are the exact themes that make Warhammer 40,000 work. The setting is a galaxy at war, and the best stories in it focus on the people stuck inside that war. (Cavill, meanwhile, is probably painting miniatures as we speak.)
It's still early in development, so don't expect casting news or a trailer anytime soon, but a writer who is this excited about the material is a good sign for a project that fans have waited a long time to see.
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Where should the Warhammer 40,000 show start? Tell us in the comments.
