When I first saw this press release I thought I’d died and gone to heaven, Warhammer 40k on the TV? YES PLEASE! You can probably tell that I’m a Warhammer nerd and you’d be right, and I’m not even a little bit sorry!
The world of Warhammer 40k sees humanity on the brink of destruction, barely hanging on as war rages on a million battlefronts with threats coming from everywhere. Its lore is vast and there are so many aspects to explore. If this show is a success there is enough 40k content to fill our screens for decades to come.
This collaboration is called Eisenhorn and is based on the novels by Dan Abnet (Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, The Horus Heresy) of the same name. Eisenhorn will see Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn and his band of investigators fight to thwart the monstrous schemes of aliens, heretics and daemons before mankind’s doom is sealed.
Frank Spotnitz (The Man in the High Castle, The X-Files) will act as both showrunner and Executive Producer with Big Light Productions’ creative director, Emily Feller (Ordinary Lies, Trust Me, Medici) also serving as an Executive Producer on the series.
Frank Spotnitz, series showrunner and Big Light Productions CEO, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Games Workshop to develop the beloved visionary world of Warhammer 40,000 into a TV series. Warhammer 40,000 is steeped in rich and complex lore, with a myriad of traditions and stories that have accumulated over time in this thrilling and complex world, making it one of the most exciting properties to adapt for television audiences and the franchise’s loyal global fanbase. There is nothing else like it on television, and we are incredibly excited to tap into our own experience creating imaginative, complex and compelling worlds to bring this incredible saga to the screen.”
Andy Smillie, Games Workshop’s Global Head of Marketing & Media, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Frank and his team at Big Light. Warhammer 40,000 has a massive global fanbase – they are a passionate community of Warhammer hobbyists who love to engage with our characters, stories and games. I’m truly delighted we are able to develop a show that will reward their loyalty. Inquisitor Eisenhorn represents one of the best-loved characters within our worlds, and we’re excited to share his exploits and adventures with audiences new and old. Frank and his outstanding team at Big Light have done amazing things with other properties, bringing complex worlds to the screen, and we can’t wait to see what our partnership produces for the grim darkness of Warhammer 40,000.”
Author Dan Abnett said: “Gregor Eisenhorn is a relentless force in the dark future of the Warhammer universe: a destroyer of daemons and a purger of heretics, implacable, powerful and dedicated. But the appeal to me, from the moment I started writing him, was his complexity. He is not the simple, ruthless hero he appears to be. His battle with the Warp leads him into dark places and forces him to question his duty, his understanding of the Imperium, and his own identity. With Eisenhorn, it’s not just the adventures, and they are certainly vivid: it’s the journey he takes to the very limits of what he is and what it means to be loyal.”
