Big news for fans of Magic: The Gathering (hey, that’s me!).
Deadline reports that Maya Hawke (pictured above in Stranger Things) has been cast in a feature film adaptation of the popular trading card game. The project hails from Legendary and Hasbro.
Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie) will direct the film. He’ll also pen the script alongside Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
We don’t yet know what role Hawke will play, but the outlet notes that the cast will have an “ensemble feel” and Hawke is expected to be a key part of the project.
I was around when Magic: The Gathering launched back in 1993. Centered around a rich mythology of sorcerers, monsters, and gods, I was immediately hooked as a kid and have been ever since. It remains the most popular trading card game today alongside Pokémon.
It might surprise some of you who have never played to know that Magic has a heavy horror influence. The game involves an assortment of creatures and spells that you cast against an opponent on the battlefield. Among those creatures are vampires, werewolves, zombies, you name it. Various spells and enchantments bring monsters back from the dead, enact curses on players, etc. So, if you’re wondering why you should be excited, that’s why. Magic has a TON of horror to offer, and it would be shocking if this film doesn’t lean into that.
Magic has since gone on to collaborate with various fandoms for new card sets in recent years as well, including Dungeons & Dragons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and so many more. They’ve also done what are called Secret Lair Drops (limited-time cards), collaborating with the likes of Jaws, Creepshow, and Famous Monsters of Filmland. The list goes on and on.
If that wasn’t exciting enough, Legendary and Hasbro are also at work developing a Magic: The Gathering TV series, but no details on that just yet.
To give you a small taste of what horrors Magic has to offer, take a look below at some of the cards that have appeared in the card game over the years:
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