40k movie

So people constantly suggest the idea of a 40k movie. Ignoring how bad an idea that would be, let's suggest a movie that could be made to appeal to both 40k fans and mainstream audiences. Many suggest the horus heresy, but the problem is that is not only marines vs marines, but it's not even full chaos marines yet. So the question stands, what would make a good 40k movie that could do well at the box office?

I think Dawn of War would be good. Features space marines, guard, orks, eldar, and chaos. Sequels could continue to feature the blood ravens most notable engagements - kronus, kauruva, then the hive fleet splinter invasion and insurgence of the Great Unclean One and the betrayal of their grand master.

Horus heresy works well. Human characters are more relatable. Especially when they have more reasons for turning traitor other than cuz they got corrupted by Chaos.

This was one of the first 40k stories I ever read, and I think it still holds up.
Self-contained enough to just be stand alone but also has enough there to warrant a sequel if need be.

I kinda of agree.

I think the story-telling style of Dawn of War would be ideal, but the film makers should do something original. I.E. Create their own Space Marine Chapter/Imperial Guard Regiment and worlds to fight in. Gives more freedom to the film makers and fleshes out the universe more. But, I do agree it should be some tiny pocket of the universe, rather than attempting to tell the entire grand meta-narrative. Maybe at the end of each film, have it zoom out of the subsector the films take place in and show the wider galaxy at war, to remind the audience that they are only seeing a tiny part of a larger scale world.

>human characters
>horus heresy
which ones? malcador?

How about this? Going off what said:

original chapter of space marines are the hero.

First movie establishes a few characters, has them dealing with an ork WAAAAAAAAGH! that leads into a chaos space marine invasion. At some point, one of the main characters is struck down and super messed up.

Movie 2: They're dealing with a different ork warband, when they stumble upon some eldar being eldar cunts. the battle begins in earnest until they're interrupted by the farseer getting uppity about how they're ruining everything...and then the tomb world wakes up.

Movie 3: They're handling an ork infestation, when they see several tyrannocytes dropping in. They lose several planets dealing with the infestation, but finally successfully repel the hive fleet splinter.

Movie 4: It turns out, all the attacks were part of the masterful plan of a Lord of Change, who was manipulating the space marine chapter to weaken them and potentially turn them to the changer of ways. During the chaos daemon incursion, the beloved character from the first movie returns, interred in a dreadnought, and the battle is won.

A good idea, though for the third movie, I would start them out fighting a Genestealer Cult instead of an Ork invasion... or maybe a Genestealer Cult that's infested an Ork WAAAAAGH?

Also, we should have a Chaos Sorceror leading the CSM in the first movie, who comes back in the fourth as a Daemon Prince to bring things full circle. I'm also thinking the main character goes up in ranks through the movies. Like, starts the first movie a scout, end it as a full marine, then second movie he's a sergeant, third movie he's 1st company veteran, and in the final movie, he's Captain.

Not realistic but good regardless

Not giving you ideas for free GW, but yes a 40k movie can be made to appeal to a mass audience while being a love letter to the canon.

Make it happen.

Please no, i am so glad DoW and its characters are forgotten and irrelevant despite attempts to promote by GW.

First film focuses on the overall theme of the Warhammer universe, have Orks/Dark Eldar be the big bads but lead into the second and third movie focusing directly on the Horus Heresy.

Dying to see people unfamiliar with the W40K universe laugh at the "funny green orks shouting noises" only to then watch them stomp the skulls of children straight after.

Do you think Christian Bale might do for a good autist Emprah? also thoughts on a Badab war movie?

Necromunda.

Endless opportunities for relatable and interesting stories without bastardising existing lore, there are tons of great stories out there that would work just being ported straight into the underhive. Great setting with plenty of opportunity for 40k factions to cameo as an introduction.

wait fuck it, never mind, got a better idea as to who should play the Emprah

>Not Tommy Wiseau
YOU'RE TEARING ME APART HORUS
HOW'S YOUR SEX LIFE FULGRIM

his face doesn't look as kingly

Stay mad weeb

Not the voice

I feel like this hypothetical movie ought to be aware that for many it will be an introduction to the 40K universe. While I'm no Loremaster, one particular story already present in 40K comes to mind. There's a 40K graphic novel told from the point of view of a peasant on some agri-world, narrating his piety to the Emperor, and his belief as a child that the Emperor might be lonely up in the stars, were it not for His angels. That agri-world is invaded by...Orks, I think it was, and those "Angels" come down in drop-pods and fuck shit up. The GN ends with the man wishing never to see those "angels" again.

I think that'd be good. It tells the story from the perspective of someone largely ignorant of the universe around them, it has enough potential for conflict and war, as well as a good, well-rounded enemy like Orks that people will recognise from other fantasy media.

Why not Liam voicing and Vigo being the model? :^) but I am disappoint no one here approves of a Badab War movie

>he wants a Maori to play a character ethnically identical to a Mongolian

Makes you think

Emperor is Caucasian, therefore the Khan is as well.

when was the last time Hollywood gave half a shit about ethnic identities? that weren't Jewish
What's your plan for Vulkan then?

see
Where do you think the Khan hails from? Hint: It's not Chogoris.

>What's your plan for Vulkan then?
Find a good actor of any complexion with a face like an anvil and put him in pitch black body paint.

Probably dark angels. People love gay erotica and the Angels founding has plenty of it

I like that idea, but any hollywood dude would never, ever go for it unless it was more akin to a steely blue alien thing cos muh blackface

Okay so if the Emperor is Caucasian, then my point still stands that a Maori shouldn't play the Khan

>but any hollywood dude would never, ever go for it unless it was more akin to a steely blue alien thing cos muh blackface
I think if the went for the glowing red eyes as well and went literally pitch fucking black and did not have any cultural reference to black people (accent or anything) it'd work.

He passes for caucasian though. If he can play an Atlantean he can play the Khan as well.

Meh maybe, but people find shit to get offended over very easily. I can only hope Lamenters might get a spotlight of their own that doesn't involve their annihilation . Maybe after movie one

>Meh maybe, but people find shit to get offended over very easily
Nobody relevant would get upset over someone who is literally pitch black due to space genetics when you also have regular black people in your movie and the former is some malfunctioning space demigod. And if the SJWs try to do a shitstorm that's just free publicity.

>Nobody relevant
exactly, I bet my bottom dollar some washed up hack would start something to try to get popular, turning it into a broo ha ha. People seem to forget that there are quintillions of people in the Imperium as a whole, making it easily the most diverse universe by default but I agree that would be free publicity

First, it should be about actual humans, not space marines and stuff. It needs to have a soft approach to the universe, it doesn't need to show everything.

That could be about imperial guards stationed in a city with suspicious chaos or nids activity, or some inquisitors tracking down some heretic or xeno.

You could slap the space marines into it in some brief scenes, where they strike from the fucking sky in some dire moment, making them appear like the demigods they're supposed to be.

Or you can swap them with SoB to fit the recent hollywood requirements

Actual Humans are the most boring part of 40k and absolutely never the thing that draws you into the setting. They only get interesting once you get into the nuances of the setting and that is far too much information for a movie.

it was entertaining enough that I don't regret buying it. But it has little substance or wider appeal, its a movie length "cool cinematic".

agreed mostly.
But it should be marines vs nids or orks.
So the antagonists and protagonists are obvious to a normie audience without having to have the movie go into lengthy exposition of why they're fighting.

Ay, cinemtographystudent here. The easiest way to appeal to normies aswell as fans is probably to do an Imperial Guard movie, desu. Just portray it as the meatgrinder it's supposed to be, have them fight orks (recognizable for normies aswell). Maybe have a mysterious Eldar appearance, sufficiently portraying them as enigmatic and mysterious. Have it end with them getting overrun by a giant horde, just to have spessmuhrens arrive just in time for a 15 min climactic action sequence.

Have a post-credit scene revealing chaos was behind the Orks and revealing the planet to be one of utmost importance to them.

I just think spacemarines seem really goddamn silly if you don't know the lore and normies wouldn't go watch it. Having it be sort of like "saving private ryan" meets "starship troopers" would probably be sufficiently accessible to set up an intrest. It's like how normies needed the down-to-earth Iron Man, before they started on stuff like Guardians of the Galaxy.

I'd say Rynns World would be good basis for 40k movie. Has human defenders, marines heroic yet desperate defence against Ork onslaught, tragic loss of chapter, journey of survivors and ends in epic space battle and duel between marines and warboss

First off space marines wouldn't work, you can't relate to them. As a start of a cinematic series IG wouldn't work either, constant Normandy beach style fights would be too much noise.
IMO the way to go is having the character be easy to connect to.
Have it focus on an inquisitor on a hive world. The task would be a simple heretical cult, something easy for people to wrap their heads around. The movie would have a heavy focus on the detective style with action set pieces in the hive. This way the entry level to warhammer would be something that most people can at least relate and focus on.
The movie would have mentions of mutations and other such things but they wouldn't be the main focus, allowing a better budget on wardrobe and practical effects.
The way I see it panning out, if I could do a 40K movie my way at least, would have the heretical cult there to build normal people's knowledge of the setting, they find out chaos corrupts and such, cults are bad. But in the third act have the cult be a genestealer cult. Introduce alien details and what not once people are invested in the movie and characters.
It also leaves the doors open to a sequel by having the Tyranid swarm coming for the planet in a second movie. That way it could be seen as a disaster film almost. With the introduction of space marines and even the imperial navy.
Having the focus be on a space marine would be too separated from the imperium as a whole, and IG's are a problem where it would be too much action to get people hooked into the characters and setting. By simply having an inquisitor, a normal human for the most part, and his crew a film would have a chance to show off more varied things in the setting. More things for normies to get interested in 40K with.
But that's just my thoughts on the matter, not like we will get a good 40K movie in the foreseeable future.

depends what aspects you focus on. leaning more towards demigod supersoldiers angle probably has enough normie appeal. Though I would agree marines should be the main protagonists, at least initially. have their presence be a a bit of a background thing, they show up about halfway through at some key point in the war. doig the whole avenging angels from on high thing.

Why not Gaunt’s Ghosts? Symphatic characters, banter and protagonists that can be put in multiple scenarios to explore the setting.

Also, fuck movies. Should be 10 episode, hour long tv show.

>you can't relate to them.

It's easier to relate to a space gestapo officer trying to stop cults from destroying a city, then it is to relate to emotionless murder machine's wearing a fridge for armor.
Space marines could be done well, I don't trust them to be, and I think for a first movie it would be better to take a safer bet. Hell give the inquisitor a Kill-Marine in his crew. Make sure that marines are shown to be totally devastating demigods of war compared to humans. But by starting with space marines it leaves it possible for normies to see marines as the basic representation of humanity, not the rare one that they are.
Also because deathwatch is the best so yeah, my own bias there.

Exactly, tug at their heartstrings, seeing these normal soldiers survive in absolutely pallid conditions, have the commissar be played by Dolph Lundgren or something. Make people relate. Space marines aren't meant to be relatable , have them be distant avenging angels, raining down with cloudy skies.

I'd also open with a montage of the guard training, being transported and finally, arriving. Have it follow the same guardsman, implying that he's the protagonist, but have him get shot in the head pretty much the moment he leaves the ship. A squad of veterans sees it and comments and from then on, we follow them.

Chapters you would want to see in a W40K movie:
>Lamenters
>Salamanders
>Imperial Fist/Successor Chapters

Chapters you would not want to see in a W40K movie:
>Blood Ravens
>Ultramarines/Successor Chapters
>Space Wolves
>Raven Guard/Successor Chapters

Gaunts Ghosts fit a TV setting better than any other protagonists, the larger scale of W40K universe including the rest of the IG and the Space Marines fit a grand cinema setting more so than the smaller scale protagonists. Full characterisation could take place in a television series better than it could in a movie.

>i am fan of most boring chapters the post

My favourite Chapter is the White Scars but a movie would never do them justice, and such I am fearful for their appearance in a movie

>Lamenters
>boring
This displeases me

You don't understand shit. Saving private ryan succeeded by cashing in on 'muh boys' sentimentality, Starship troopers failed.

40k does not work with melodrama, you need to play up the grimdark elements for which IG is unfit.

ITT autistic space marine haters.
Do all the kids start with Guard? No they don't. Claiming Marines are not relate able is so fucking far from reality it's sad you people consider yourself fans of the hobby.

It comes down to a debate of whether humanisation is relevant in a W40K movie, truth is it probably doesn't, but then the integrity of the movie would seem hollow for people who aren't prior fans of Warhammer 40K.

>the integrity of the movie would seem hollow for people who aren't prior fans of Warhammer 40K.
What the fuck are you talking about. You're not trying to make some deep insightful masterpiece, you're trying to make an accessible entertaining movie. Think something like Transformers. The key to a successful 40k movie is 100% the aesthetics because they're the setting's strongest point and those definitely revolve around marines.
Look at DoW 2, it characterizes its cast strongly but you still get a really strong feeling for how far removed marines are from baseline humans. Do that.

>think something like transformers
No offence, but no franchise should base itself off the modern Transformers live action movies

Only good casting in this is Dorn

Get your head out your ass. Of course they are terrible movies but they consistently make bank and it's fucking basic to understand why.
An unapologetic action movie that looks nice and has a distinct style is a very very promising concept. Trying to make Saving Kasrkin Ryan not only misses the point of 40k but is pretty much assured to fail as well because good melodrama is much harder to pull off.

mark strong as horus?count me in!

I would like to see a dry humour film of the IG being posted on a relatively peaceful world.

Because Sharpe tv series already exists. Same reason why there's no point in making Cain tv show- Blackadder and Royal Flash exist.

That with some slight mixed action scenes could make a great film

No it doesn't, how the fuck do you set up the HH lore? Non40k fans are going to go crazy with all the names and if you don't deal with the story of the hh, but just some people in a certain battle then no point using HH.

Auper cancer, only enjoyable if you are a fan.

Why are people saying you can't relate to space marines and it needs to be IG? Space marines aren't aliens, they will just make them even more human. Stuff like the space marine game, where the personalities of the marines is just plain soldier dudes. There is no way they can make a 40k movie and not make it at least partially about space marines.

There he is. There he goes again. Look, everyone! He posted it once again! Isn't he just the funniest guy around?! Oh my God.
I can almost see your pathetic overweight frame glowing in the dark, lit by your computer screen which is the only source of light in your room, giggling like a like girl as you once again type your little Tommy Wiseau thread up and fill in the captcha. Or maybe you don't even fill in the captcha. Maybe you're such a disgusting NEET that you actually paid for a Veeky Forums pass, so you just choose the picture. Oh, and we all know the picture. The "epic" God Emperor guy, isn't it? I imagine you little shit laughing so hard as you click it that you drop your Doritos on the floor, but it's ok, your mother will clean it up in the morning. Oh, that's right. Did I fail to mention? You live with your mother. You are a fat fucking fuckup, she's probably so sick of you already. So sick of having to do everything for you all goddamn day, every day, for a grown man who spends all his time on Veeky Forums posting about a Space fantasy setting. Just imagine this. She had you, and then she thought you were gonna be a scientist or an astronaut or something grand, and then you became a NEET. A pathetic 40kiddie NEET. She probably cries herself to sleep everyday thinking about how bad it is and how she wishes she could just disappear. She can't even try to talk with you because all you say is "YOU’RE TEARING ME APART HORUS, YOU’RE TEARING ME APART HORUS." You've become a parody of your own self. And that's all you are. A sad little man laughing in the dark by himself as he prepares to indulge in the same old dance that he's done a million times now. And that's all you'll ever be.

wouldn't that just be MASH

>Orks jobbing to set the scene
>for three movies
Dark Eldar, chaos cults, Genestealer cults and even the Tau can fill this role too, thank you very much.

I would follow an IG company around BoB style on a planet that is undergoing a civil war against the Planetary governor. The trick is not to explain anything, as the characters already know everything going on. As far as the general audience knows, its a kind of sci-fi WW2 where that guy has a cool hat, and that other guy has weird looking cybernetics and, why is that guy called a "tech*priest*" Science and Religion are the exact opposite, aren't they?

Everyone in universe agrees that the rebels are right and are the good guys, but they caused the tithe to be missed so down they go.

So it follows the company as they "fight a bullshit war that doesn't actually need to be fought" until reinforcements arrive. Everyone's morale is excellent because "the Marines are coming!" Stories get traded in between or while fighting about what a marine actually is until someone claims they are 9-foot-tall genetically enhanced super-soldiers in power armor. Which everyone agrees is groxshit, power armor be expensive, yo.

The last 15 minutes of the movie are this: The company gets cornered and surrounded and hope seems lost when all of a sudden... 9-foot-tall genetically enhanced super-soldiers in power armor fall from the sky and start fighting the rebels while singing hymns. That one guy shouts "Told you!" Then the credits roll.

>Guard
>unfit for grimdark

>What's their deal?
>Oh, they die retardedly
>Well, I mean, what else do they do?
>Nothing. They are supposedly nice, but they die too retardedly to show that really, and they're never successful.
>So they're basically epic fail guy from 2007 /b/?
>NO THEY'RE SPECIAL COOL GUYS AND THE BEST CHAPTER HOW DARE YOU

A Mass Effect style rpg where you play as an inquisitor/rogue trader would be a much better use of the license.

Honestly I'd argue that they are probably best off as two different kinds of movies. The first alternative would be a gritty detective movie about an inquisitor and his eclectic retinue investigating a possible corrupt governor of some half-periphery planet.

The second alternative is a dumb but fun action movie in which we follow a unit of imperial guards that have to make it back to friendly territory after being stranded for whatever reason. I'd very much like to see Tau as the foe in such a movie. Obvious bonus points if the movie ends with them having fought their way back to their HQ only to be immediatly assigned to the vanguard of a massive assault.

True dat.

Let us pray that after CD-PR-RED releases cyberpunk 2077 (in 2076) they get a little bit lazy so they make Rogue Trader RPG just so they can reuse some assets.

Gotta set up your posterboys before going farther afield user.

Relictors bc muh edgy grey morality and lovecraftian Indiana Jones with Space Marines would be awesome.

Celestial Lions during the Third War for Armageddon bc showing the brutal and pointless internal fighting within the imperium against such a hopeless backdrop would be brilliant tragedy, but with a high-point 'glimmer of hope' ending for normies seriously though, why can't normies into tragedy?

Astral Knights. Hey, did you see that newfangled star wars movie? holdmybeerArtor.vox

I for one would love me some kind of Diplomacy, politicing and psuedo-empire building strategy game that also includes plenty of Mass-effect/the Witcher intrigue with dialogue options in which you play as a Rogue Trader.

That would be fucking lovely.

>tfw David Bowie will never play Fulgrim
fuck

The good thing about the WH40K universe is that it has place for new stories. It doesn't need a seperate movie universe as Marvel does, it doesn't have to center around the Skywalkers as Star Wars does. It would be a shame not to use this potential to tell new stories, instead of rehashing the same old things. Also who in their right mind thinks the Horus Heresy would make good movie material? Do you really think that 2- hours would do it justice? The Horus Heresy would only make sense as a series, but even HBO doesn't have the budget to make it justice.

IMO the WH40K movies should be gateways to the universe. Hook the mainstream audience on this unique, weird setting, so they can gorge themselves later on the Black Library fare. Because it has an estabilished background, the movie shouldn't try to explain everything. Of course have Space Marines, Guards, Orks, Eldars in it, but they should be part of the setting, not the sole focus of a movie.

And instead of the story, my first task would be to decide what genre the movie should be set in. War movie or action movie would be obvious choices. But WH40K would be good settings for horror (event Horizon, Aliens, etc) or thrillers (Ninth Gate reimagined with an inquisitor).

I personally would do an Inquisitor triology (not because I love them), dedicating a movie to each of the 3 branches. This way you have something that holds the movies together, but you can introduce most of the factions. Xenos can introduce marines through deathwatch, orks, eldar or maybe tyranids. Maleus would be firmly centered around chaos and Hereticus about cults, mutants, etc.

>emotionless
Nigga have you read any space marine fiction ever?

Horror film about a fresh guardsmen who's ship has a Gellar field failure during transit and chaosy things happen, or just watch Event Horizon again ;)

I too want to bang eldar in the ready room of my swanky Rogue Trader vessel.

Saving Private Ryan with a dash of Rogue One.

Inquisitor on a planet besieged by something (can't be Necrons because of Terminator, can't be Tyranids because of Aliens, can't be Orks because of LotR, leaving cultists and demons?). He has to get to the distress beacon to send a signal for planetary support.

The movie shows them going up against increasingly more difficult foes starting with just cultists, leading to psykers and demons, and ultimately ending with Chaos Space Marines on the planet looking for something.

Inquisitor and his crack team of elites end up dying but not before sending out a distress beacon. Just as the last stronghold looks to be overrun, the sky is darkened by drop pods and the space marines join the fight.

The end credits scene is a zooming out of the planet showing the final victory of the space marines through a multicolored tunnel and ultimately ending with a slender alien sitting cross legged in a room of crystals calling for a seer council to report what he saw and to alert the Eldar for war because they know what CSM were after.

That should be enough to introduce the general universe and get some people interested. We can then do anything we want from that point forward.

Ciaphas Cain "movie", played with the commentary from Cain and Amberly over the film.

Or you could be a normal person and watch Blackadder. And Royal Flash. And then read Flashman Papers.

That would've been great. Allthough I think that it isn't suitable for a movie-adaptation untill the universe has been properly established in that medium.
I honestly don't understand why some film company haven't produced a Warhammer 40K movie in an attempt to ride the coattails of the new Star Wars movies.
Atleast Netflix should have a put together a half-decent series about some inquisitor and his rag-tag-team solving cases in space. You could definitly keep it not too costly by keeping it mainly indoors and in well-tubed corridors, perhaps even mainly in their ship, and reusing the costumes from old military movies and period pieces for set garments. That would basically give them a series that's a combination of Star Wars and Game of Thrones, which are both insanely popular currently.

Forgot to mention that you wouldn't even need any aliens in the series.

Oh and it would work great as a sort of anti-Star Trek with loads of grit and grey areas which even the normies have started to appreciate.

The agri world story idea above would be great.
Leverage some grim darkness and horror to carve a unique style, power armour wank would be boring.

Agriworld/feudal with minimal tech. Occasional exposition reveals the larger universe but leaves it mysterious
Day to day hard life of various rabble.
Suspicious group in the background, astute fans would recognize them as chaos cultists.
Allude to the Emperor's Angels and have people really excited about them.
Daemons.
Survival horror, no major daemons. But it is scary as fuck because T2 S2 humans with crap weapons.
Marines appear. They don't talk, angles emphasize their size and superhuman ability.
They slaughter shit, don't go out of their way to help anyone and leave after.
One briefly removes his helmet, see a fucked up face that is barely human looking.
Movie ends as the marines ditch the world to go elsewhere, movie leaves fate of the survivors unclear. Can't cull them onscreen.
Surviving protagonist loses his mind from everything, including the scary marines.

Fin~

>Create their own Space Marine Chapter/Imperial Guard Regiment and worlds to fight in

Let Hollywood make up their own lore? Are you crazy? Imagine the Hillary Chapter with non gender binary intersectional space marines versus Nazi hive fleet.

What a shitty pretentious Idea.

That seems fucking perfect for a film!
I would imagine that a couple of plaguebearers would work really well in a film with their hideous apperance, buzzing flies and the constant and monotonous counting. You'd only get to see small glimpses of them and when we are first introduced to them atleast one of people we're following can't help themself from puking and the others look really nausated.