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I have noticed a number of threads and You Tube videos about 40k movie licensing or the lack of. In some cases appealing to it as why isn't there one they can't understand it or giving points of view as to why there isn't one. I have a couple of thoughts on this but am interested in people's opinions as to why 40k currently does not look like a good sci fi action genre to the general public or film studios. Two come to mind for me-
The biggest one is the focus on space marines which do not engage in human romantic relationships essentially cutting off the interest by many if not most woman that make up the general public. In general most stories have romantic components to create interest and conflict etc and it is a large gap right off the bat. Now this could be mitigated imo by focusing on major characters elsewhere like in imperial guard for instance but I think many think of space marines as naturally being main characters in a 40k movie.
Another one I was thinking about is around Ork's as one of the Imperiams arch nemesis. As one of the oldest enemy factions and one of the natural choices to feature in film their comical presentation imo does not fit well in a film for a general audience. In action films people want sinister not mean but funny imo. Unless it is meant to be for children or a comedy. This is obviously not a deal breaker and they could be portrayed as more malevolent leaving out the comic relief but it would in some ways depart from how they were developed on the tabletop. The closest things that come to mind are the aliens in the fifth element with Bruce Willis that did have a bit of comic/cartoon presentation about them.
Nice stereotyping right out of the gate. "It doesn't have romance therefore women won't like it". I suppose it's a good things that women can't possibly appreciate anything other than romance.
curran12 wrote: Nice stereotyping right out of the gate. "It doesn't have romance therefore women won't like it". I suppose it's a good things that women can't possibly appreciate anything other than romance.
Ha ha.. I know plenty of woman who enjoy sci fi and 40k but I am looking at this from a demographics perspective of the general public not from within our hobby. If you disagree with this that's your opinion.
So why no license for such a large IP?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 17:23:40
PalmerC wrote: The biggest one is the focus on space marines which do not engage in human romantic relationships essentially cutting off the interest by many if not most woman that make up the general public.
... whut?
'It doesn't have romance in it, so women won't watch it' is not actually a thing.
In general most stories have romantic components to create interest and conflict etc and it is a large gap right off the bat.
While it's common to throw in a romantic angle even just as an aside, as it helps to 'humanise' the characters, there are a lot of very big movies that don't. It's most certainly possible to make a blockbuster movie that leaves out the romance.
Another one I was thinking about is around Ork's as one of the Imperiams arch nemesis. As one of the oldest enemy factions and one of the natural choices to feature in film their comical presentation imo does not fit well in a film for a general audience. In action films people want sinister not mean but funny imo. Unless it is meant to be for children or a comedy. This is obviously not a deal breaker and they could be portrayed as more malevolent leaving out the comic relief but it would in some ways depart from how they were developed on the tabletop. The closest things that come to mind are the aliens in the fifth element with Bruce Willis that did have a bit of comic/cartoon presentation about them.
That seems far more like a reason to not make a 40K movie about Orks than to not make a 40K movie.
IMO, the reason we haven't seen any serious effort at a 40K movie is simply that it's a big risk... It would require a sizeable budget to do it right, and it's a story based on a niche hobby that most people don't know anything about. It could do well on the strength of a good story and kickass special effects... or it could bomb, because nobody knows what the heck it is.
'Ultramarines' is what you get if you do a half-assed job of it.
BrookM wrote: So, dudebro's won't watch it because 40k isn't sporty enough then? Gotcha.
Perhaps so why no license for such a large IP?
Because Hollywood is full of fething donkey-caves who feth up everything they fething touch. They are too fething stupid to "get" the fething franchise and do it fething right. They would look at it, take a concept and rewrite it so many fething times that it wouldn't represent 40k any more.
curran12 wrote: Nice stereotyping right out of the gate. "It doesn't have romance therefore women won't like it". I suppose it's a good things that women can't possibly appreciate anything other than romance.
Ha ha.. I know plenty of woman who enjoy sci fi and 40k but I am looking at this from a demographics perspective of the general public not from within our hobby. If you disagree with this that's your opinion.
So why no license for such a large IP?
And which demographics are these, exactly? If you're going to throw them out there, let's see some proof. Your best bet is http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/media3.html which shows a greater degree of women preferring romance, but hardly to the degree that "all women like romance" and "women will only go to romantic films".
Well for one, it isn't that large. It feels large to a small subset (wargamers) to another small subset (gamers) of society. The 40k IP is nowhere near as large as you believe it to be.
Second, the 40k setting is poor for creating a movie-style narrative. One, it is too large of a setting to adequately write about it and have it feel like the setting. Two, that huge size fractures the fans. Space Marine fans are not as interested in a Tyranid or Tau movie and so on.
Third, from a writing perspective, it is an impossible place to start. You've got 2 hours for a movie, how do you tell a 40k story that not only feels right for 40k but also respects the vastly deep and labyrinthine source material when instead you could make your own story and not be burdened by it?
PalmerC wrote: The biggest one is the focus on space marines which do not engage in human romantic relationships essentially cutting off the interest by many if not most woman that make up the general public.
... whut?
'It doesn't have romance in it, so women won't watch it' is not actually a thing.
In general most stories have romantic components to create interest and conflict etc and it is a large gap right off the bat.
While it's common to throw in a romantic angle even just as an aside, as it helps to 'humanise' the characters, there are a lot of very big movies that don't. It's most certainly possible to make a blockbuster movie that leaves out the romance.
Another one I was thinking about is around Ork's as one of the Imperiams arch nemesis. As one of the oldest enemy factions and one of the natural choices to feature in film their comical presentation imo does not fit well in a film for a general audience. In action films people want sinister not mean but funny imo. Unless it is meant to be for children or a comedy. This is obviously not a deal breaker and they could be portrayed as more malevolent leaving out the comic relief but it would in some ways depart from how they were developed on the tabletop. The closest things that come to mind are the aliens in the fifth element with Bruce Willis that did have a bit of comic/cartoon presentation about them.
That seems far more like a reason to not make a 40K movie about Orks than to not make a 40K movie.
IMO, the reason we haven't seen any serious effort at a 40K movie is simply that it's a big risk... It would require a sizeable budget to do it right, and it's a story based on a niche hobby that most people don't know anything about. It could do well on the strength of a good story and kickass special effects... or it could bomb, because nobody knows what the heck it is.
'Ultramarines' is what you get if you do a half-assed job of it.
I think we can all think of movies that came from less popular genres than 40k think about it. So it's purely because of budget? I find that hard to believe with what has been done with cgi.
So folks do not like my observation about the sterile nature of space marines or use of the word romance. Think of most sci fi movies or genres that do not utilize it for character development. Star Trek, Star Wars, aliens, star ship troopers? List goes on and on. Give me an example of a sci fi film/genre that doesn't?
I am not basing everything on this mind you it is one point and I was hoping to hear others.
MWHistorian wrote: I don't think 40k has the widespread general public appeal that some fans think it does.
I don't think that really matters, if the movie is good enough. I very strongly suspect that the majority of people who went and saw Starship Troopers had never read the original book.
Although it does beg the question - if knowledge of the original source material isn't the main drawcard for your movie, why bother licencing an existing property rather than just creating something new?
Or, to put it another way, why pay GW a licencing fee and whatever royalties they would demand to make a 40K movie, when you could just make a generic scifi movie about, say, armoured space troopers fighting against [insert alien here], unless you can see that the 40K name will be enough of a drawcard to get bums on seats?
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PalmerC wrote: So folks do not like my observation about the sterile nature of space marines or use of the word romance. Think of most sci fi movies or genres that do not utilize it for character development. Star Trek, Star Wars, aliens, star ship troopers? List goes on and on. Give me an example of a sci fi film/genre that doesn't?
Where was the romance in Aliens?
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2015/04/01 17:42:56
curran12 wrote: Nice stereotyping right out of the gate. "It doesn't have romance therefore women won't like it". I suppose it's a good things that women can't possibly appreciate anything other than romance.
Ha ha.. I know plenty of woman who enjoy sci fi and 40k but I am looking at this from a demographics perspective of the general public not from within our hobby. If you disagree with this that's your opinion.
So why no license for such a large IP?
And which demographics are these, exactly? If you're going to throw them out there, let's see some proof. Your best bet is http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/media3.html which shows a greater degree of women preferring romance, but hardly to the degree that "all women like romance" and "women will only go to romantic films".
Well for one, it isn't that large. It feels large to a small subset (wargamers) to another small subset (gamers) of society. The 40k IP is nowhere near as large as you believe it to be.
Second, the 40k setting is poor for creating a movie-style narrative. One, it is too large of a setting to adequately write about it and have it feel like the setting. Two, that huge size fractures the fans. Space Marine fans are not as interested in a Tyranid or Tau movie and so on.
Third, from a writing perspective, it is an impossible place to start. You've got 2 hours for a movie, how do you tell a 40k story that not only feels right for 40k but also respects the vastly deep and labyrinthine source material when instead you could make your own story and not be burdened by it?
Proof? Ha Ha I dont need to provide you proof in the context of this discussion if I did I might bother to try. What I was saying is I am not approaching this from the perspective of fans but a general audience. I can say that men are the primary purchasers of Harlequin romance novels if you like and you can argue with me about proof.
I believe the 40K IP is quite large as compared to many setting movies take place in within Sci Fi and end up being relatively successful.
Your point about the universe being too large is interesting I often thought "Dune" suffered from the same thing. However I dont think that should stop a film carving a story within the universe. Space Hulk for instance could be a niche setting for a movie. Some of Vin Diesel's films for RIddick did both large scale plots as well as narrow.
MWHistorian wrote: I don't think 40k has the widespread general public appeal that some fans think it does.
I don't think that really matters, if the movie is good enough. I very strongly suspect that the majority of people who went and saw Starship Troopers had never read the original book.
Although it does beg the question - if knowledge of the original source material isn't the main drawcard for your movie, why bother licencing an existing property rather than just creating something new?
Or, to put it another way, why pay GW a licencing fee and whatever royalties they would demand to make a 40K movie, when you could just make a generic scifi movie about, say, armoured space troopers fighting against [insert alien here], unless you can see that the 40K name will be enough of a drawcard to get bums on seats?
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PalmerC wrote: So folks do not like my observation about the sterile nature of space marines or use of the word romance. Think of most sci fi movies or genres that do not utilize it for character development. Star Trek, Star Wars, aliens, star ship troopers? List goes on and on. Give me an example of a sci fi film/genre that doesn't?
Where was the romance in Aliens?
Alien had a romantic component to the film as well as Promethius. Aliens showed sexual tension among the marines as part of character development.
Good point about the cost to license verses making your own. I wondered about that a bit. At what point does the IP justify the royality's. I am not an expert on all things sci fi. I am not sure where Pacific Rim came from or how big the IP was for the Hunger Games or Star Ship troopers etc.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 17:47:30
MWHistorian wrote: I don't think 40k has the widespread general public appeal that some fans think it does.
I would agree that it does not in its current state as a genre have wide spread public appeal. To some degree I think it is the type of offering it is being based on tabletop gaming and modeling. But why as a fictional universe does it not have general public appeal in your opinion for a movie? Is it that it is a future with only war? Too much to it as far as background already? I am generally interested in people's opinions as to why. I just threw a couple of thoughts out there but wonder what else.
Drake and Vasquez as well as Ripley and Hudson. You also have Ripley's regrets about the loss of her daughter and subsequent maternal relationship with Newt, not a romantic element, but a decidedly more "female" component.
It is exceedingly tough to find a mainstream, a adult oriented, live action film without a classic male/female romantic relationship, sure, it isn't always consummated, but in the substantial majority of cases it proceeds in a very orthodox and straightforward manner.
The issue is that it would be very difficult to write a credible plot that both played to 40K's strengths (which is essentially Space Marines in the sense of marketing to a broader audience) and featured a traditional male/female romance without betraying the core values of the fluff.
Which pretty much eliminates the chances of a large studio being involved, as they'd likely insist on a romance, but not necessarily a smaller studio, who are traditionally better disposed to taking risks. Then you just have the issue of insufficient funds to do the IP justice, and then you end up with things like the Wing Commander movie....
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
LordRahl wrote: necron romance movie lol SM + Sob, heck doesnt have to 100% follow the fluff
Changing what some might consider core elements to characters in the universe or the universe itself is certainly an option. Heck the Emperor could even be a pimp daddy if GW allows it.
Drake and Vasquez as well as Ripley and Hudson. You also have Ripley's regrets about the loss of her daughter and subsequent maternal relationship with Newt, not a romantic element, but a decidedly more "female" component.
It is exceedingly tough to find a mainstream, a adult oriented, live action film without a classic male/female romantic relationship, sure, it isn't always consummated, but in the substantial majority of cases it proceeds in a very orthodox and straightforward manner.
The issue is that it would be very difficult to write a credible plot that both played to 40K's strengths (which is essentially Space Marines in the sense of marketing to a broader audience) and featured a traditional male/female romance without betraying the core values of the fluff.
Which pretty much eliminates the chances of a large studio being involved, as they'd likely insist on a romance, but not necessarily a smaller studio, who are traditionally better disposed to taking risks. Then you just have the issue of insufficient funds to do the IP justice, and then you end up with things like the Wing Commander movie....
I was begining to feel very lonely in this thread Ha Ha (kidding.) I agree with you. I do think it can be done. I watched the original Predator last night and cant really recall any significant romance. But there was potential with the captive woman if the studio wanted there to be.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 18:20:30
Deadnight wrote: Forty-K fans simply overestimate the value and importance of the ip.
At the end of the day, it's just not worth it.
Actually, I'd suggest you're underestimating the potential of the IP. The value, yes, I'd suggest most fans would overestimate the value, it is simply human nature to over value something you like, but the fact it isn't worth a whole truckload of cash is simply down to the lack of either desire or ability on GW's part to grow it.
I think, given the right exposure, 40K could give Wars and Trek a run for their money, but it just doesn't exist in a state that allows for that possibility right now.
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
I've worked on film financing deals in Hollywood, and can see a few problems that would pop up in getting a 40k movie made or at least explain some of the process.
1) Budget: I think it's safe to say that a 40k movie would require a significant budget to make a decent movie. Orks / Tryanids would need to be CGI, which is expensive (if done well). This eliminates most indie studios. Mini-majors might be able to do it, but it's hugely risky, since 40k isn't a big franchise in the same way Marvel / The Avengers is. This means we're looking at studio-land (Paramount, Disney, etc.). They've already placed bets on big action franchises.
2) Genre: Is it going to be a sci-fi action film? I haven't run the comps on this, but a studio would look at DBO (basically box office performance) of other films. Stuff like Jack Reacher or Jupiter Ascending will raise red flags. They would then figure out what the Ultimates / ancillaries look like. Action films tend to over-convert which is good, but it's sci-fi so can be hit/miss, which hurts returns. I should also touch on format here, because live action vs. CGI vs. mix all impact these things.
3) Talent: If you want major studio backing you'll probably need to have some A-list talent attached. There was a previous thread about "ideal cast" but there is no way you could coordinate that many schedules (not to mention budget inflation) for that level of talent. This also ties into script, since good actors look for good scripts unless it's a pet project. Is a major studio going to take their writers off of core franchises such as The Avengers for this? Probably not.
4) Creative: From what I can tell, GW is very overbearing and protective of their IP. A major studio will want a lot of creative control since they have serious money at risk. More than likely GW wouldn't be okay with this. On the flip side, if studios did have control they could totally kill the universe (bewildered Grey Knight teams up with Slaaaneshi Daemonette to take on new foe!!).
5) Competition: When would something like this get release and what other films are coming out on that date? Due to the presumed huge budget this would most likely be a summer tentpole, but then you are competing with Batman / Thor / Avengers and mega franchises.
6) P&A Spend: How do you market this? A $200mm budget could have another $200mm in print & advertising spend since 40k has very low awareness (versus something as iconic as Batman).
The net result is that it would be risky, a large cash outlay, and conflict with some of their own bets in the action space. Yes, if it is a hit they could franchise into tons of movies, but a $200-400mm flop can materially impact stock prices and financial stability.
IMO, something like 40k would probably be better suited for a Game of Thrones format on HBO. Getting a pilot / greenlit is a whole different monster.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 18:27:44
Something based around Inquisitorial actions could make a compelling film. Rooting out a Chaos cult, corruption of Imperial officials, more relatable as they are still human.
Can use Astartes actions and influence more sparingly perhaps being hinted at throughout and only appearing near the end of the movie as the source of cult activity. Sets up Grey Knight involvement for future entries.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 18:33:22
BlaxicanX wrote: A young business man named Tom Kirby, who was a pupil of mine until he turned greedy, helped the capitalists hunt down and destroy the wargamers. He betrayed and murdered Games Workshop.
LordRahl wrote: necron romance movie lol SM + Sob, heck doesnt have to 100% follow the fluff
Changing what some might consider core elements to characters in the universe or the universe itself is certainly an option. Heck the Emperor could even be a pimp daddy if GW allows it.
Drake and Vasquez as well as Ripley and Hudson. You also have Ripley's regrets about the loss of her daughter and subsequent maternal relationship with Newt, not a romantic element, but a decidedly more "female" component.
It is exceedingly tough to find a mainstream, a adult oriented, live action film without a classic male/female romantic relationship, sure, it isn't always consummated, but in the substantial majority of cases it proceeds in a very orthodox and straightforward manner.
The issue is that it would be very difficult to write a credible plot that both played to 40K's strengths (which is essentially Space Marines in the sense of marketing to a broader audience) and featured a traditional male/female romance without betraying the core values of the fluff.
Which pretty much eliminates the chances of a large studio being involved, as they'd likely insist on a romance, but not necessarily a smaller studio, who are traditionally better disposed to taking risks. Then you just have the issue of insufficient funds to do the IP justice, and then you end up with things like the Wing Commander movie....
I was begining to feel very lonely in this thread Ha Ha (kidding.) I agree with you. I do think it can be done. I watched the original Predator last night and cant really recall any significant romance. But there was potential with the captive woman if the studio wanted there to be.
Predator is probably a good example of the one sort of movie that doesn't lean as heavily on the romance side ie an all action star vehicle. You already know you have an established audience for a certain type of movie, so it is ok to spend cash. That said, I had a quick Google, and the budget for Predator was $15m, which, even for 1987, doesn't strike me as exactly a huge sum for a studio to risk on a movie (Robocop, from the same year, had a budget of $13m)
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
A WH40K film would, I think, either end up bogged down by exposition or have to have the more outlandish elements stripped away, at which point it would cease being anything like the source material. Say you keep it as close to the background as possible...non-fans are going to wonder who this Emperor is that everyone keeps talking about, what the Warp is, where Chaos comes from, why the soldiers have to wait for some bloke in a robe to fix their tank, etc.
Something like Guard vs Orks could work, but as Insaniak says, you could also just cut out the licensing part and invent a whole new setting - the tropes in WH40K are often pretty generic or borrowed form other works, and a major motivation for a lot of the factions is simply to kill each other. You can therefore make a 40K-like film without ever mentioning anything GW have done.
As for women in the audience, maybe they'd care less about romantic subplots and more about capable female characters? Yes, the Imperial Guard would be a good way to show them, but then again, soldiers in space are hardly unique to Warhammer. Better to simply make an original film about future warfare and have female characters who don't suck.
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2015/04/01 18:37:31
Driven away from WH40K by rules bloat and the expense of keeping up, now interested in smaller model count games and anything with nifty mechanics.
Fezman wrote: A WH40K film would, I think, either end up bogged down by exposition or have to have the more outlandish elements stripped away, at which point it would cease being anything like the source material. Say you keep it as close to the background as possible...non-fans are going to wonder who this Emperor is that everyone keeps talking about, what the Warp is, where Chaos comes from, why the soldiers have to wait for some bloke in a robe to fix their tank, etc.
Something like Guard vs Orks could work, but as Insaniak says, you could also just cut out the licensing part and invent a whole new setting - the tropes in WH40K are often pretty generic or borrowed form other works, and a major motivation for a lot of the factions is simply to kill each other. You can therefore make a 40K-like film without ever mentioning anything GW have done.
As for women in the audience, maybe they'd care less about romantic subplots and more about capable female characters? Yes, the Imperial Guard would be a good way to show them, but then again, soldiers in space are hardly unique to Warhammer. Better to simply make an original film about future warfare and have female characters who don't suck.
Good point on the budget. Not sure with today's technology whether it would still be a hindrance or perhaps be even more of a hindrance. I still think Predator had little to no romance but remembered the constant sexual jokes among the soldiers which could be interpreted as character development utilizing heterosexual male bonding etc.
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Fezman wrote: A WH40K film would, I think, either end up bogged down by exposition or have to have the more outlandish elements stripped away, at which point it would cease being anything like the source material. Say you keep it as close to the background as possible...non-fans are going to wonder who this Emperor is that everyone keeps talking about, what the Warp is, where Chaos comes from, why the soldiers have to wait for some bloke in a robe to fix their tank.
As for women in the audience, maybe they'd care less about romantic subplots and more about capable female characters? Yes, the Imperial Guard would be a good way to show them, but then again, soldiers in space are hardly unique to Warhammer. Better to simply make an original film about future warfare and have female characters who don't suck.
That first paragraph made me laugh.....so true. I think a lot of work would have to go into the script to ensure you are not overwhelmed by genre specific elements.
Good point, as a father of two daughters one heavily into sci fi ( not sure where she got it from ) I would love a 40k film with a leading female character. As was mentioned earlier though in films marketed to a wide audience there are usually at least some elements of relationships in some form to support character development.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 18:53:30
People have been trying to give you reasons and point out flaws in your original post ("women only want to see romance") but you've just been arguing with them and ignoring the criticisms. That does not do well for facilitating discussion.
IMO, the best chance at transcribing 40K into a compact movie plot line would be Gaunts Ghosts series. They have fleshed out characters, are human, and could be squeezed into a 2 hour film.
"Got you, Yugi! Your Rubric Marines can't fall back because I have declared the tertiary kaptaris ka'tah stance two, after the secondary dacatarai ka'tah last turn!"
"So you think, Kaiba! I declared my Thousand Sons the cult of Duplicity, which means all my psykers have access to the Sorcerous Facade power! Furthermore I will spend 8 Cabal Points to invoke Cabbalistic Focus, causing the rubrics to appear behind your custodes! The Vengeance for the Wronged and Sorcerous Fullisade stratagems along with the Malefic Maelstrom infernal pact evoked earlier in the command phase allows me to double their firepower, letting me wound on 2s and 3s!"
"you think it is you who has gotten me, yugi, but it is I who have gotten you! I declare the ever-vigilant stratagem to attack your rubrics with my custodes' ranged weapons, which with the new codex are now DAMAGE 2!!"
"...which leads you straight into my trap, Kaiba, you see I now declare the stratagem Implacable Automata, reducing all damage from your attacks by 1 and triggering my All is Dust special rule!"
People have been trying to give you reasons and point out flaws in your original post ("women only want to see romance") but you've just been arguing with them and ignoring the criticisms. That does not do well for facilitating discussion.
IMO, the best chance at transcribing 40K into a compact movie plot line would be Gaunts Ghosts series. They have fleshed out characters, are human, and could be squeezed into a 2 hour film.
Sorry that you see it that way where comments are constructive I am happy to discuss the error of my opinion but where it's just basically implying I only mAke vast generalizations or stenotype for making an observation I'm not going to lie down and wait to have my head patted.
If you'd pull your head out of your ass long enough to actually pay attention, it's all about the money.
A fully realized 40K movie would cost well more than GW makes gross in a year - probably several years, and Square's Final Fantasy movie shows what happens when a company banks a lot of money on their own property and it goes wrong. So they either work their tails off to get financing for a project in an industry they have little experience with (and such money usually come with strings attached) or they find someone interested in paying for the rights to use the property.
I'm sure that finding someone interested in liscensing the property wouldn't be hard, but the problem is that this happens, the invovlement of the creators ends, and the liscenser gets to do whatever they want with it. JK Rowling and George R.R. Martin are very much the exceptions to the rule, where the creator's input, and control, are actually a thing. GW doesn't want to just hand over the whole parcel of the 40K universe and allow someone else carte blanche to do whatever they want, and allowing creators significant ability to control production oft times is an automatic pass, because there will always be other ideas and projects that they can pursue without that particular headache.
*edit*
Good examples include, A Sound of Thunder, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,I, RobotPriestSeeker(the movie based on The Dark is Risingfranchise),and Catwoman, which just off the top of my head, barely resmebled the source material once the Hollywood machine got to work.
An example I like was a story I heard about Neil Gaimen being given a script pitch for a Sandman movie. which starts witht he brooding, introspective, eponymous character attacked by soldiers while declaring "Puny humans! Your weapons have no effect on Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams!" (which is about as off-character as depicting tyranids as only devouring planets becaue we can't communicate, and as soon as we do, they go 'oops, sorry!' and stop).
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/04/01 20:49:28
Actually, I'd suggest you're underestimating the potential of the IP.
The idealistic vision of what could be? Sure, you're probably right. It could be great.
Then again, we're not dealing with that. We're dealing with cold, hard, gritty reality. And that cold, hard gritty reality is a miss mash of fairly generic tropes, concepts, and ideas. It's nothing special really.
thst said, I think 40k on the tv would be better suited to the docu-drama route. Like the battlefield series of ww2 documentaries. Imagine a six-part 'documentary' chronicling the siege of vraks. Or the badab war. Throw in some archive footage of tanks and infantry going 'over the top'. Have some grainy cgi of marines fighting. Have some grainy stills and artwork of actual models on a tabletop looking heroic, like how gw do in their codices. Mock in action and live photographs if you will. Throw in some Mock interviews with generals, survivors and experts of the conflict, and basic top down discussion points explaining overall strategies and army/offensive movements.
I'm sorry, I don't accept "40K is generic" as any sort of valid criticism.
About the only franchise in the genre of Sci fi and fantasy movies that isn't hugely derivative is LotR, and that has been the influence of so many tropes and cliches that it now looks derivative.
No, 'lack of originality' isn't fair, what marks 40K out as special is the way it takes all the things it draws on (to put it kindly) and creates a whole greater than those parts.
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
so why no license for such a large IP? 
) I would love a 
