A live-action Magic: The Gathering movie is in the works. Hasbro Entertainment has partnered with Legendary Pictures to produce an official feature film of the acclaimed card game. In addition, they will help produce television shows based on the property.
The Magic: The Gathering Movie Announcement
According to an official press release, Hasbro and Legendary will be focusing on producing a live-action Magic: The Gathering film. Given that Magic is Hasbro's $1 billion brand with over thirty years of rich characters, settings, and stories to adapt, there is plenty of source material ripe for adaptation.
Once the feature film has led the charge, the two companies will help produce live-action television shows and other content as the universe of the property expands.
Legendary Pictures has a solid track record producing film and television for beloved brands. They're the studio behind the "Monsterverse" which adapted Toho's Godzilla monsters into blockbuster feature films alongside the Apple TV series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. A second success is producing the two live-action Dune movies and the spin-off show Dune: Prophecy for the Max streaming service.
This approach is similar to another brand that Hasbro tried to expand: Dungeons & Dragons. After producing the critically well-received but commercially underwhelming Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, they had plans for spin-off shows, one of which was being produced by Joe Manganiello.
Mary Parent, Legendary’s Chairman of Worldwide Production, said, “We pride ourselves on being thoughtful caretakers of singular, beloved IP, and no property better fits that description than Magic: The Gathering. Alongside the fantastic Hasbro team, we look forward to creating a multimedia universe that thrills longstanding fans and creates a broad wave of new ones.”
Hasbro and Legendary attempting to make a Magic: The Gathering movie may be the next chapter in companies trying to adapt the brand. It is a dense, imaginative world full of interdimensional wizards, evil dragons, demonic crime syndicates, and high-octane racing competitions. Netflix announced an animated adaptation in 2019, but that project was quietly canceled.
