Why isn't there a Warhammer 40k inspired movie?

[Dragonshardz]

Before I begin, YES, I do know there is this one CGI movie (Ultramarine) and I've seen it, however, it is so bad and pointless that... erm, moving on.

So I've been reading my ass off for the last year and a half, everything Warhammer 40k related (Horus Heresy, most of Dan Abnett's works, etc) and I can't seem to stop wondering why isn't there a full blown, sci-fi imagining of the Warhammer 40k Universe in a block buster form? There is so much lore, so much great, richly awesome stories, not to mention the diversity and sheer amount of sides one can choose from. I mean, by sheer volume, Warhammer beats any fantasy universe out there, and it isn't all fun and games (if you compare it to Warcraft for instance).

I bet Games Workshop don't sell their licence easily (though seeing how they got burned with that awful CGI it really makes me wonder about their thought process on the matter) but with the amount of rehashed, re-imagined re-releases of movies with themes done to death, shouldn't a big movie studio look for something which will definitely sell if done right? Your thoughts?

[Verdugo]

Its too big for a movie.

[Trollragemore]

Look at some of the butcheries of classics 80's cartoons and games made to movies... U think GW would want that to happen to 40k or for that matter Warhammer Fantasy?

[Deleted]

There is Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40k Movie watch if you would like too. I read tons of bad critics about it.

[Kronik85]

Hollywood would probably struggle with the idea that Space Marines are essentially Space Nazi's and they would be the "go to" race to tell the story. Yes Space Marines protect the worlds of man but they don't do it with a smile, they do it with unrelenting zeal and fire....lots of fire. It just makes it hard for the audience to actually empathise with the hero then the hero would rather incinerate the planet rather than saving it's inhabitants.

Equally it's difficult to write a love interest in there and we all know these are pretty much mandatory for a block buster.....I mean the hero could be a member of the Imperial Guard but which GW fan wants to watch a 40k movie about the Imp Guard??? Might come off like Transformers where they are trying to make me care about these stupid twats in the USAF when all I want to do is watch Optimus Prime kill Decepticon's all day.

It's just not an easy franchise to turn into a "blockbuster".

[vizzle]

Maybe that is the reason? Plus: If a movie costs 100 million to make (and we really are now more in the 200 million range for big movies) that means at least 10 to 20 million need to be willing to put their money down for it.

Nothing a little marketing can't fix. Just as long as they make sure not to make it too deep (a.k.a. you have to be a fan to understand what's going on) to have a bit more mass appeal.

[Sharde]

to do the franchise justice would be a problem for hollywood standards.

you just CAN NOT make a 2h film and expect it to be good. perhaps as a trailer ... but for a full fledged 40k epos i can see up to 5 films in a series a 3-5h which would make lotr look like a short story.

it is to dark for a blockbuster. while everyone goes for gritty reboots nowerdays i think this could be to much. a 18+ or adulty only movie of this magnitude would make every producer laugh in your face.

the money. i can see myself easily spending 1-3 billion dollars for the whole epos. who would want to invest in something like this? it is not a really well known franchise in non scifi groups. so it would have to be privately founded most likely.

if i had a shitload of money this project would be on one of the first places i would want to do for years now.

[Deleted]

Look up Event Horizon. It's a horror film, but it's got more than a few "influences" from Warhammer 40k.

[ParanoiD84]

Yeah it's to big for a movie, cant do the 40k any justice with a 2 hour movie. But the idea off a 40K movie is very tempting, 40k lore is the best.

[iceberg265]

I love the 40k universe and would love to see it put into some type of film. Maybe like a TV series would be better though, possibly an animated one?

[bloodkin]

well the first problem is, what kind of movie is it going to be, what kind of factions are included and who's ot going to be about ? there are so many sotries i myself would have a hard tome choosing (though i most likely would go for Gaunt's ghosts)

second problem is the amount of time and money needed, for story telling, this is one of the best franchises to actually make movies about (in my eyes).

the third problem is the audience themselfs, who are making it for and how much do they already know ? if your making it for hardcore fans with high standards, your gonna have a bad time, but for the notrmal audience you'd need a bit lighter story with a modarate/fast pace and not too many sequels.

but honestly, i'd love to see a full fledged hollywood movie with some live action of top notch animation (not like the spacemarines animated movie, it was nice, for fans tho)

[Deleted]

As said before, It's just to big.
Even if they decided to make Imperial Guard as their main focus point, then there would just be a massive outcry about them following the wrong "race".
And as said before Space Marines are basically Space-Nazis with the main point: are you alien? Die. Are you human but dont want to join us? Die. And not many people (as it seems now atleast) would like to follow such a race of beings as the main protagonists.

[Gerion]

Look at some of the butcheries of classics 80's cartoons and games made to movies... U think GW would want that to happen to 40k or for that matter Warhammer Fantasy?

GW is already letting the butchering happen by constantly letting Matt Ward write their codex books. He turned the Ultramarines into one of the most hated chapters with their "perfection", the Grey Knights into Mary Sues (Caldor Draigo LOL), and now the Necrons have turned into ridiculous Saturday morning cartoon villains.

[Venziir]

A series revolving around the Inquisition *could* work honestly. You'd follow a few High Inquisitors and their Acolytes as they are dispatched to various missions, and through these missions you could slowly introduce various 40K elements etc. Meanwhile you realise just how insane and power mad most Inquisitors are.

---------- Post added 2012-08-05 at 05:33 PM ----------

GW is already letting the butchering happen by constantly letting Matt Ward write their codex books. He turned the Ultramarines into one of the most hated chapters with their "perfection", the Grey Knights into Mary Sues (Caldor Draigo LOL), and now the Necrons have turned into ridiculous Saturday morning cartoon villains.

Luckily Warhammer 40K is more than the figure-play. It's also a pretty decent litterary franchise and the various 40K tabletops (Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader and Deathwatch for example) are very high regarded.

[Gerion]

A series revolving around the Inquisition *could* work honestly. You'd follow a few High Inquisitors and their Acolytes as they are dispatched to various missions, and through these missions you could slowly introduce various 40K elements etc. Meanwhile you realise just how insane and power mad most Inquisitors are.

---------- Post added 2012-08-05 at 05:33 PM ----------



Luckily Warhammer 40K is more than the figure-play. It's also a pretty decent litterary franchise and the various 40K tabletops (Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader and Deathwatch for example) are very high regarded.

Yup luckily Fantasy Flight isn't so retarded as to let him touch their part of the WH40k universe. I play those RPGs myself with some friends. Damn fun. But it's difficult to ignore Ward's work since it's "official". I mean Draigo beat the living shit out of a fallen primarch and rather than kill him, carve Geronitan's name into his heart? That's rather stupid. But what's worse is that he just stays in the warp just causing havoc on every Chaos God's realm no problem. Why the hell isn't this guy the Emperor?

[Dragonshardz]

To be honest, I did mention it should be inspired by the Warhammer 40k universe, meaning you can pretty much take ANY part of the thing which looks, erm, financially manageable and make it into a movie. I think the Horus Heresy might be an excellent start for a LOTR-like trilogy. Sure, you can't explain everything since there are so many characters, events and places but I am sure a good director can pull it off. I'd say three movies SPOILER!!! (for those who want to read the novels, STOP READING NOW!!!) - The first would establish the characters and the world - the Rise of the Imperium and the Emperor, the Primarchs and the founding of the Legions (as well as the beginnings of the Crusade). The second movie would be about the corruption of Horus and the Istvaan Masacre (the turning of the War) and the third would be the War on Terra. Obviously, this kind of movie would be massive in scope and really, REALLY expensive to make, but wait a second - didn't LOTR also take a great deal of time and resources to make? I know a lot of people who hadn't had a clue from what LOTR was made of, yet they loved it. Now, that's a statement on Peter Jackson's ability to direct as well as the source material. I am not comparing the two, though you can see where I am going with this. I hope

[drwelfare]

Too dark, not well known and won't have happy endings. Also GW seems to have bad luck getting their IP into other markets as a decent product

[Verdugo]

GW is already letting the butchering happen by constantly letting Matt Ward write their codex books. He turned the Ultramarines into one of the most hated chapters with their "perfection", the Grey Knights into Mary Sues (Caldor Draigo LOL), and now the Necrons have turned into ridiculous Saturday morning cartoon villains.

Latest Necron codex is only good thing Ward ever created.

[Deleted]

Latest Necron codex is only good thing Ward ever created.

[Gerion]

Latest Necron codex is only good thing Ward ever created.

Trazyn the Infinite says otherwise . Ward turned these silent menaces known as the Necrons and turned them into Saturday morning cartoon characters. This guy just goes around and interferes with battles to collect nonsense? I mean he holds the relic of Thor's head and "a giant man wearing baroque Power Armour" (who's probably Leman Russ given how awful Ward is at creativity and writing). What a joke.