What happened
Shares of Games Workshop (GMWK.F 4.16%) (GAW 1.06%) may look like they're standing still today, as most data sources are reporting a 0% move from Thursday's closing price. However, buyers and sellers of the thinly traded stock have held a 3% gap between them all morning long, and the midpoint between their adamantly defended price points represents a 21.1% overnight jump.
Furthermore, this is an unofficial American depositary receipt on the over-the-counter markets in America, representing the British desktop gaming veteran's official stock on the London Stock Exchange. The British version of this stock closed Friday's trading session 16.5% higher.
Image source: Games Workshop.
So what
In a joint press release, Games Workshop and Amazon (AMZN -0.48%) Studios announced a wide-ranging collaboration deal that gives Amazon the right to develop and publish media based on the fictional world of Warhammer 40,000.
This is not a single-shot deal to produce one movie or a TV series, but a broad, multiyear agreement that involves "series, films, and more" on a global scale. According to press materials, this is Amazon Studios' largest intellectual property deal to date, and the company intends to produce a lot of Warhammer content across its various publishing channels.
Moreover, Man of Steel and The Witcher star Henry Cavill will star in some of these productions and serve as executive producer for the deal as a whole.
Now what
It's easy to see why Games Workshop shares are rising today, as a global content deal with mighty Amazon and involving Cavill's star power can only be good for the British company.
This announcement also explains why Cavill stepped away from his starring role on Netflix's The Witcher and was dropped from Warner Bros Discovery's Man of Steel franchise with no complaints. He is a well-known fan of nerdy material such as video games (Witcher), comic books (Man of Steel), medieval literature (Tristan + Isolde), Neil Gaiman's fantasy novels (Stardust), and spy thrillers from the 1960s (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.). I'm not surprised to hear that he used to paint Ultramarines and Tyranids, too.
Today's announcement didn't share financial details on the development deal, but it must be substantial if superstar Henry Cavill felt it was worth dropping two of the most successful franchises to focus on the Games Workshop project.
As a former gamer with Novamarine and Thousand Sons skeletons in my closet, I can't wait to see where Cavill and Amazon are taking this vibrant fictional world. As a Games Workshop investor, I'm thrilled that the company has found a much larger content development partner.
This deal should be good fun for gamers and investors alike.