Flanagan: Warhammer 40K adaptation is "brutally difficult"
The writer cites roughly 700 novels and a timeline spanning thousands of years as the main hurdles in bringing the universe to television.
Mike Flanagan says adapting Warhammer 40K for television is a "really brutally difficult" project, pointing to the size of the franchise's fiction and its sprawling timeline. The writer gave the update on The Process Unlocked podcast, according to Screen Rant.
Flanagan cited roughly 700 novels published across the franchise's 39-year history as one of the challenges. He also named the sheer number of characters and a story that spans thousands of years as the hardest part of introducing the universe on screen.
Despite that, Flanagan described the work of adapting the universe as fun. He is fitting the project around a new Prime Video series, a new film of Stephen King's The Mist and a TV adaptation of The Dark Tower.
How the project came together
Amazon MGM Studios acquired the Warhammer 40K rights for TV and film in late 2022, with Henry Cavill attached to star and executive produce. Games Workshop owns the franchise.
In July 2026, an annual report from Games Workshop revealed that Flanagan had joined the series as a writer. That report said he had completed story outlines for a season and should soon move on to script.
Quick answers
Who is writing the Warhammer 40K TV series?
Mike Flanagan joined as a writer, according to a Games Workshop annual report in July 2026.
Who is attached to star in the Warhammer 40K adaptation?
Henry Cavill is attached to star and executive produce, after Amazon MGM Studios acquired the TV and film rights in late 2022.
What else is Mike Flanagan working on?
He said he is balancing Warhammer 40K with a new Prime Video series, a new film of Stephen King's The Mist and a TV adaptation of The Dark Tower.