BlackBerry director Matt Johnson is being eyed to helm the live-action Magic: The Gathering film for Hasbro and Legendary.
Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment introduced a live-action film based mostly on Magic: The Gathering earlier this yr, and now Deadline reviews that Matt Johnson (BlackBerry) is being eyed to direct the mission. It’s nonetheless early days, so Johnson doesn’t have a proper provide but, however sources have informed the outlet that he’s the primary option to direct.
The Magic: The Gathering film is just step one. A TV sequence and different content material are set to comply with. In an announcement, Mary Mother or father, Legendary’s Chairman of Worldwide Manufacturing, stated, “We delight ourselves on being considerate caretakers of singular, beloved IP, and no property higher matches that description than Magic: The Gathering. Alongside the unbelievable Hasbro staff, we sit up for making a multimedia universe that thrills longstanding followers and creates a broad wave of latest ones.“
Zev Foreman, Hasbro Entertainment’s Head of Movie, added, “That is an thrilling and complementary partnership, uniting one of many world’s most iconic manufacturers with a strong and confirmed steward. Magic: The Gathering has impressed a long time of epic world-building and artistic storytelling. It’s a good match for Legendary’s diversified strategy to marquee IP, and we’re excited to work collectively to construct a complete new Magic: The Gathering.“
Created by Richard Garfield and launched in 1993, Magic: The Gathering entails gamers appearing as highly effective duelling wizards referred to as Planeswalkers. Every participant has their very own deck of playing cards, with every one representing a magical spell that can be utilized in battle.
This isn’t the one Magic: The Gathering mission within the works, as Hasbro has additionally been growing an animated sequence with Netflix. The mission was initially introduced in 2019 with Joe and Anthony Russo set to function showrunners, however they ultimately departed the sequence over inventive variations. Jeff Klein (Transformers: Prime) stepped in to take over, however the sequence fell aside. Nonetheless, Netflix introduced final yr that the mission was being resurrected and that Terry Matalas (Star Trek: Picard) can be steering the ship. This additionally isn’t the primary film that’s been within the works, as Fox tapped Simon Kinberg to supply a Magic: The Gathering characteristic movie again in 2014.
Johnson has additionally been linked to an Anthony Bourdain biopic set to star Dominic Seesa (The Holdovers).
