While Henry Cavill’s tenure on The Witcher was legendary, his upcoming Prime Video adaptation of Warhammer 40K will blow that series out of the water thanks to its unerring faithfulness. Based on the novel series of the same name by author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is a four-season dark fantasy series from Netflix.
Although The Witcher’s spinoffs diverge from its primary plot, the main story of the show follows Gerald of Rivia, a monster-hunter who lives in the fictional medieval setting of the Continent. Alongside Princess Ciri and Yennefer of Vengerberg, Geralt uses his powers to rid the realm of monsters and keep the Continent safe.
Henry Cavill Is Ensuring Warhammer 40K’s Adaptation Will Be Faithful
While the first season of The Witcher won over critics thanks to star Henry Cavill’s central performance, the show’s critical acclaim waned as time wore on. By the time Cavill was replaced by Liam Hemsworth in season 4, the franchise had reached its critical nadir.
Luckily, this fate is less likely to befall Cavill’s next fantasy project, his long-awaited Warhammer 40K adaptation. According to a report from CNews, the star is working tirelessly to ensure that Prime Video’s Warhammer 40K series is as faithful to the original media as possible, rechecking everything from obscure lore to pronunciation details.
This makes sense, since Cavill is a long-acknowledged fantasy obsessive and a major fan of both The Witcher and Warhammer 40K franchises. Created by Games Workshop, Warhammer 40K is a dark sci-fi fantasy game wherein humanity has been torn asunder by both aliens and paranormal monsters. Humanity’s last vestiges fight mutants and aliens alike in a desperate, heavily armed battle for survival.
What Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40K Universe Must Get Right
The relentlessly downbeat tone of the source material might make it seem like Warhammer 40K’s screen adaptation needs to lighten up the tone of the games. However, this could not be further from the truth. A big part of the original franchise’s appeal is its grim, gritty tone.
As such, Warhammer 40K’s screen adaptation needs to embrace the brutality of its source material and steer clear of lightening up proceedings with humor. Cavill’s show must stick closely to both the story and the tone of the games, since both are pivotal to the appeal of the franchise.
At a time when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is succeeding with critics and audiences by showcasing a lighter side of the Game of Thrones universe, it would be an easy mistake for Warhammer 40K to offer a hopeful take on the franchise. However, Cavill is here to ensure Warhammer 40K’s screen adaptation avoids this misstep after The Witcher’s critical decline.
Source: CNews
- Release Date
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December 20, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
- Directors
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Stephen Surjik, Charlotte Brändström, Edward Bazalgette, Loni Peristere, Louise Hooper, Bola Ogun, Alex Garcia Lopez, Gandja Monteiro, Sarah O’Gorman
- Writers
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Haily Hall, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jenny Klein, Tania Lotia
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Anya Chalotra
Yennefer of Vengerberg