Well, this should get you all talking…

We’ve reached another of those juicy, much-anticipated moments when the studio releases a few more images and designs for you to enjoy. And just look what they are this time!

The captions say it all. This is material related to the Imperial Fists. That’s right, loyal citizens of the Imperium, there’s more than one chapter of Space Marines in this movie! The Ultramarines are going to cross paths with the Imperial Fists, second only to them in codex purity and staunch observance of the Astartes doctrine?
The Fists have an extraordinary reputation based upon their implacable skills at fortification and defense, and their ability to endure. Really endure. It was the Imperial Fists, under their primarch Rogal Dorn, who fortified and held the Emperor’s Palace during the Siege of Terra at the climax of The Horus Heresy. Their loyal legacy is a matter Imperial record. They are honoured and they are feared.

So what could have happened on the shrine planet, Mithron, and how are the Ultramarines’ bold brother-chapter, the Imperial Fists, involved?

Well, of course, I’m not going to tell, because that would spoil the story, but I’m delighted to say this: I’ve been given permission to officially reveal, for the first time, that the characters played by the magnificent John Hurt (Carnak) and the marvellous Johnny Harris (Nidon) are both Imperial Fists.

As usual, there are so many other things I want to blab, and so many things I’ve seen that I want to go “wow!’ about, but I’ll leave it here. Enjoy the designs. Enjoy the anticipation.

Maybe I’ll see you at the San Diego ComicCon, or the US Games Day in Baltimore. It’s going to be a busy summer!

Dan Abnett, ULTRAMARINES screenwriter, is coming to ComicCon in San Diego at the end of this month, with lots of activities lined up and several opportunities to meet many of you.
Amongst other things, he’ll be talking about being screenwriter on the movie as part of a panel presented by SFX, called ‘The British Invasion’, running on Thursday July 22nd at 5pm in Hall 5AB. And on Friday 23rd July at 10- 11am he’ll be signing ULTRAMARINES postcards (or anything else you want him to!) in the Autograph Area at table AA20. More details to follow...
And for anyone who can’t make it to ComicCon, but wants to meet Dan and talk about the project, he’ll be in Baltimore for US Games Day on August 21st too.

Way back, right at the beginning of the production, we asked the ‘Eavy Metal guys in Nottingham to paint miniatures of the main characters from the movie, as one-offs, for display at the Codex Pictures office.

They did a great job, as you can see here: Verenor, holding the Auspex Scanner (below), and Proteus (above).

The long-awaited teaser, featuring the very first segment of finished animation, will go live on the movie website on Saturday 29 May – but you’ll have to be registered and logged in to view it (and, to be ready, you can do so here).

We hope it’ll give you a real sense of the amazing quality of the animation, and the look of the film. But – not surprisingly – it won’t give away much more!