Magic: The Gathering’s First Movie Officially Gets Its Biggest Casting Update Yet
Hawke takes central role
Deadline reports that Maya Hawke will star in the Magic: The Gathering movie. She is the first actor cast in the project, which is described as an ensemble film.
Hawke’s character is expected to be central to the story, and the actor was specifically approached for the role. It is her first major role since Stranger Things ended in January; she joined the series in its third season and became a key member of its ensemble.
Johnson leads filmmaking team
Matt Johnson is set to direct the film and co-write it with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald. Gardner and Fitzgerald wrote the anthology thriller series Calls. Johnson created Nirvanna The Band The Show and directed its big-screen spin-off, Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie. His recent film Tony, about Anthony Bourdain, has received rave reviews.
Long development history
Magic: The Gathering was introduced by Wizards of the Coast in 1993 and has become a major collectible card game. Its screen adaptation has struggled to move forward.
The film has been in development for more than a decade. Hasbro, the parent company of Wizards of the Coast, has worked with Universal, 20th Century Fox and, most recently, Legendary Entertainment on efforts to make it. The movie remains in development.
Key points
- Maya Hawke is the first actor cast in the Magic: The Gathering movie.
- Hawke’s character is expected to be central to the ensemble film.
- Matt Johnson will direct and co-write with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
- The adaptation has spent more than a decade in development.