Horror maestro Mike Flanagan joins Henry Cavill on Warhammer adaptations

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Director Mike Flanagan is best-known for his horror work, including Netflix hits Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill HouseByTom RichardsonBBC NewsbeatPublished3 hours agoGames Workshop has revealed acclaimed horror director Mike Flanagan has been recruited to work on its upcoming Warhammer 40,000 adaptations.Flanagan, who is known for his work on Netflix series such as Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, is due to begin work on scripts soon, the company said.UK-based Games Workshop previously announced Warhammer superfan Henry Cavill would produce and star in TV and film projects based on the miniature tabletop wargame. In its latest update, it confirmed the former Superman actor remains involved, after fans had expressed worries about the lack of new information on the collaboration.Image source, Games WorkshopImage caption, Games Workshop said its revenue from video games had fallen slightly - but it still plans upcoming releases including Dawn of War 4The company did not reveal whether Flanagan would work on a film or series, but added that production company United Artists had also been brought on board.Games Workshop, which struck a licensing deal with Amazon in 2024, said it had "almost completed" work on a new Warhammer-inspired episode of Secret Level, the Prime Video anthology series based on popular video games.It also said work had begun on an full animated series based on its Space Marine Deathwatch characters. The company said it had seen a drop in revenue from licensing video games, against a "challenging" backdrop for the industry, and two previous partners had ended their deals to make Warhammer-inspired titles.Despite this, it has announced four new video game tie-ins this year, and said blockbuster 2024 release Space Marine 2 "continues to generate income long after the initial launch".Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Henry Cavill remains involved with adapting Warhammer 40,000The news about Games Workshop's screen adaptations came in its annual financial report, external, where it announced record-high results.It said pre-tax profit was up 4.9% to a record £275.7m for the fiscal year.Last year, there had been concerns the company's models, which are manufactured at its headquarters in Nottingham, would be hit by US president Donald Trump's tariffs.Chief executive Kevin Rountree said the company had paid about £12m in tariffs, but was able to reclaim £7.8m following a US Supreme Court ruling.Following changes to US rules, Rountree said, the company expected to pay about £13m in tariffs in the next business year, and would continue trying to boost efficiency to save money."Unlike some companies, we do not consider tariffs as an exceptional item, but rather part of the uncertainty of operating globally," he said.Rountree also doubled down on Games Workshop's stance on Gen AI.He said the company does not use it in "our product design nor on the creation of our IP, this will protect the integrity and ownership of our IP".However, he said it was "difficult for us to say we are not using AI outside of the Warhammer studio" because tools appear to be "automatically included in third party software whether we like it or not".It was "something we are just going to have to potentially live with and monitor carefully," he added.Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.Related topicsGamingGames WorkshopMore on this story'It could be Marvel' - Games Workshop and the big ambition of a miniatures businessPublished19 January 2025Amazon to make Warhammer 40,000 shows and moviesPublished19 December 2023