Henry Cavill is set to star in a new Warhammer series after Amazon struck a deal to bring the hit game franchise to TV and film.
The news is a welcome boost for the British actor, a day after he announced he would not be returning as comic book icon Superman After DC bosses opted to recast the character.
It also gave the 39-year-old the chance to step into one of his favorite fantasy worlds, which he previously starred in The Witcher on Netflixwhich was inspired by Cavill’s superfan book and video game series.
Cavill is also an avid Warhammer player and will “bring his lore expertise” to Amazon’s production, serving as both an executive producer and starring role.
“I grew up loving Warhammer, which makes this moment really special for me,” he said.
“It has been an honor and a responsibility to have the opportunity to lead this cinematic universe from the very beginning.”
The Mission: Impossible and Enola Holmes star often shares hand-painted photos of his Warhammer character on Instagram, saying the character is “the night of a lifelong dream come true”.
What is Warhammer?
Warhammer started out as a tabletop strategy game and is best known for it.
But it’s also a major player in video games, releasing dozens of titles over nearly 30 years.
Amazon’s deal with franchise owner Games Workshop includes rights to TV shows and movies.
The Nottingham-based company has a market capitalization of £2.7bn and operates more than 500 stores.
It said it had “reached an agreement in principle” with Amazon.
“While the parties have agreed on significant commercial terms, the project is entirely dependent on and subject to the contract that the parties are working to reach,” a statement said.
Warhammer is a huge video and tabletop game franchise
Amazon’s foray into gaming
It marks another move by Amazon to snap up movie and TV rights to the popular gaming franchise, having already secured deals to produce shows based on the Fallout and God of War franchises.
The company is also eyeing a bigger role in the games themselves, announcing Thursday that it’s working on an upcoming entry in the long-running Tomb Raider franchise.
Amazon says it will release the next game with “full support” for developer Crystal Dynamics for a “narrative-driven adventure” filled with “mind-bending puzzles to solve” and tons of enemies.
Created by British studio Core Design and debuting in 1996, Tomb Raider starring protagonist Lara Croft.
The most recent installment, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, was released in 2018.