London-based Modiphius Entertainment has signed script writer Dirk Vandereyken and director Raine McCormack to work on a film adaptation of its award-winning tabletop gaming universe Achtung! Cthulhu.

A scant week after hauling in a prestigious Silver ENnie for best writing and another one for best artwork, the Achtung! Cthulhu gaming line will now be expanded upon with a feature-length movie that will bring many of the characters presented in the roleplaying game and board game to life.

The Setting

The Achtung! Cthulhu setting uses the writings of H.P. Lovecraft – arguably the most influential horror author ever – and the events unfolding just before and during World War II as source material to unveil the horrific secret history of what was actually going on behind the scenes. It presents a nightmarish alliance of science and the occult, frightening inhuman conspiracies from the depths of time and unbelievable war machines created just as much by the infernal ovens of the German factories as by dark incantations chanted by a select group of immoral, Cthulhu-worshiping Nazi researchers. It also features the heroes of the time, flawed but courageous human beings making a stand in the idle hope of postponing the inevitable demise of humankind foretold in antediluvian manuscripts tucked away in hidden corners of the world’s greatest museums.

Many of the characters, villains and creatures in the film are drawn from the pages and inspirational graphic art of the critically acclaimed Achtung! Cthulhu books and will also be making an appearance in Dark Tales, an anthology of short stories set in the same universe, whilst Modiphius has just launched a large range of collectible miniatures based on the universe.

Modiphius Entertainment’s CEO Chris Birch

“In my mind, Achtung! Cthulhu has never been just a game,” comments Modiphius Entertainment founder Chris Birch, the gaming entrepreneur behind the Achtung! Cthulhu universe. “The writings of H.P. Lovecraft have inspired a massive backstory, set against the backdrop of World War Two. This isn’t just another ‘weird war’ tale but a deep-rooted, millennia-old conflict, in which mankind is but a mere pawn. It lends itself extremely well to different media, so I know that both H.P. Lovecraft and Achtung! Cthulhu fans are going to be excited to see what we have planned.”

Find out more information about Script Writer Dirk Vandereyken and Director Raine McCormack at Modiphius.com!

Tags | cthulhu, lovecraft