A blockbuster bigger than the Cosmere is barreling in at breakneck speed. We’ve heard whispers of the monumental Magic: The Gathering movie for about a year now, and we couldn’t be more excited. The film is currently in development with Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro, with Matt Johnson slated to direct. Talking with MovieWeb (h/t CBR), Johnson is breaking some delightful first updates on the major film.
The movie industry is no stranger to game-to-film adaptations. For example, Mattel is phasing out a brigade of them, from Uno to Magic 8 Ball. Clue, Monopoly, even Tag. You name it, and it probably exists somewhere out there. The world of sorcery and fantasy role-play, specifically, has also been explored in the past. Toss back to Paramount Pictures’ Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which came out in 2023. It can be tricky when it comes to these types of adaptations. Some work, some don’t. As for MTG, our hopes are high.
Few games out there boast a following quite as impressive as the one MTG has built since its debut in 1993. And until now, no one has ever taken on the challenge of exactly how to crack the expansive universe. Johnson opens up about the film’s development in an interview with MovieWeb this week.
“I’m still in the middle of it; that’s very much happening,” shares the director. “It’s the biggest project I’ve ever been a part of in my life, and I’m amazed it’s happening. As of today, as of this conversation, it’s very much full speed ahead.”
Hear that, folks? Full speed ahead. It’s encouraging to know that a film of this magnitude is finally getting its feet off the ground. Deadline confirmed in June that writers Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald would be boarding the project. Johnson was later confirmed to direct.
What Will the Magic: The Gathering Movie Be About?
Since the adaptation is still pretty early on in development, it’s hard to say exactly how the storyline will pan out. For those unfamiliar with the game, MTG has a narrative storyline that runs through its decks. Earlier sets detail the accounts of Urza, a magic-wielding Planeswalker, pitted against the Phryexian. Later sets introduce the Gatewatch and dark Planeswalkers like Elder Dragon Nicol Bolas. Being such an expansive multiverse, there’s no way of knowing what characters the movie will choose to focus on. I would even bet that Hasbro and Legendary might introduce an entirely new cast of characters.
When Is Magic: The Gathering Coming Out?
Currently, there is no release date or known production schedule for Magic: The Gathering (sigh). But fear not. As it pertains to the Cosmere, some other exciting ventures have surfaced. One, of course, is the recent announcement of an Apple TV series exploring Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. We’ll be on the lookout as new details emerge of both projects, so be sure to check back here first. For now, we wait.
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