Amazon is poised to launch a series of films and television shows based on the popular game Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop.
In a stock exchange announcement this morning, Games Workshop confirmed it had established "creative guidelines" and secured a deal with Amazon to bring the Warhammer 40,000 universe to life in film and TV adaptations, along with associated merchandising rights for any Amazon-produced content, as reported by .
"This update was largely expected, but it is the important final step in bringing Warhammer to a global audience," commented Peel Hunt analysts Charles Hall and Andrew Ford. Set to join the FTSE 100 later this month, Games Workshop boasts an extensive library of intellectual property that has only recently started to be exploited commercially.
According to the company's latest financial results, licensing revenue soared by 150% year-on-year to £30m, significantly surpassing analyst predictions and enhancing profitability. "This push into licensing is a big part of the company’s future growth strategy," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, in a discussion with City AM.
Today's agreement grants Amazon exclusive rights to any Warhammer 40,000 film or TV project, with the option to license similar rights in the Warhammer fantasy realm following the debut of an initial Warhammer 40,000 screen adaptation.
"Production processes in respect of films and television series may take a number of years," Games Workshop remarked in its stock exchange notice, confirming that there are no alterations to its forecast for the year ending in June. Peel Hunt analysts further commented: "There is no set timeline for delivery, and productions of this scale take a number of years to bring to fruition,” adding, “Lord of the Rings (Rings of Power) took five years from conception, albeit this was delayed due to Covid."
