OneMetal.com film NEWS:
Warhammer 40k Film in Production : Ultramarines

So a quick brief, Warhammer 40k is the space version of the Warhammer Franchise created by Games Workshop, those purveyors of little lead figures and solely responsible for keeping the nerdy off the streets. The 40K universe is set far, far into the future and sees the human race spread across the known galaxy. As you would guess with a name like Warhammer, things aren’t so rosy and those plucky humans are generally in a constant battle for survival against a host of other races. On the plus side we do have an ace up our sleeve; the superhuman Space Marines. Space Marines are enhanced super soldiers, dedicated to unerringly serving and worshipping the god-like Emperor of the Galaxy and putting all of humanity’s enemies to the sword. These pious super soldiers are split into chapters living in Fortress Monasteries and apart from training their time is dedicated to religious adoration of the Emperor and also their Primarch (the founding member of the Chapter).

With a rich universe and story background, as well as being a popular tabletop and PC strategy game, a cinematic envisioning has been more a matter of when rather than if. Well Codex Pictures have announced production of ‘Ultramarines’ (a well-known chapter of space marines in the games) and promised…

a 70-minute sci-fi thriller that will use CGI and state-of-the-art animation production techniques

…so we’re thinking of a Beowulf CGI-fest, running at a relatively short 70 minutes, that will end up as a niche DVD release rather than hitting the silver screen in any kind of anger.

But on the plus-side, the Warhammer 40k universe has been itching for some kind of screen release, something that many fans have noted with the live-action trailers of games such as Dawn of War…

Probably the biggest concern is creating a compelling story rather than a 300 style hack, slash and shoot fest; something that may please some fans superficially but will hardly lead to a classic. Unfortunately Space Marines don’t particularly lend themselves to some of the typical plotlines you would expect, Romance for instance is out of the window as Space Marines are supposed to lead a monk-like existence devoting themselves to their Chapter and Emperor. Personally, I would prefer a similar story to that used in ‘Space Marine‘ by Ian Watson where you follow the protagonists from their roots, through the training and between the various conflicts; during which, where is a dark synergy that binds the main characters to each other and adds that depth to the whole story.

More as we get it or you can sign up on the relatively sparse official website for updates.