Since entering the spotlight as Flowerchild in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood seven years ago, Maya Hawke — daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman — has consistently proven one of Hollywood’s better nepo babies. Whether starring in genre joints like Fear Street and Do Revenge, auteur pieces such as Asteroid City and Maestro, or major franchise fare including Inside Out 2, Stranger Things, and the forthcoming Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, Hawke’s name on a call sheet is usually a good sign. And now Deadline is reporting that Hawke has just joined the live-action Magic: The Gathering movie in the works at Legendary and Hasbro.
Last February, we first brought you word that MonsterVerse architects Legendary and toymakers turned moviemaking (well, licensing) powerhouses Hasbro were teaming up to create a Magic cinematic universe, with word following shortly after that Blackberry director — and one half of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie‘s central duo — Matt Johnson was on to helm the iconic trading card game franchise’s big-screen debut. According to Deadline, while it’s believed that Johnson’s Magic will be going for an ensemble approach, Lord Of The Rings/Dungeons & Dragons style, and that there’ll be an auditioning process for that wider cast, Hawke — having left such an indelible mark as Stranger Things‘ fan-favourite Robin — was always the producers’ priority to make an offer to and get aboard. And, well, make an offer they have and get aboard they did!
Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald, whose past projects include Apple TV+ thriller Calls and an array of tantalising but ultimately unrealised projects (including cancelled Aquaman horror spin-off The Trench), are attached to write this one alongside Johnson. With over thirty years of rich lore and iconic characters to draw upon, and the fantasy TCG’s anything-could-happen world of spellcasters and monsters at Johnson and co’s disposal, the possibilities of a Magic: The Gathering movie are as limitless as they are ever so slightly daunting. Still, with a recent fantasy boom still in full effect thanks to the likes of The Rings Of Power, House Of The Dragon, and A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, the potential there for a full-on MTGCU, and an exciting first star attached alongside a very buzzy — not to mention unpredictable — filmmaker, something pretty magic (sorry) could be in the works here. Planeswalkers, assemble!
