Legendary Studios Is Making Hasbro’s Magic The Gathering Into A Film & TV Franchise

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Summary

  • Magic: The Gathering is expanding into film and TV via a partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
  • Hasbro’s move follows recent trends in utilizing big IPs for film and TV franchises.
  • The game’s fantasy roots make it well-suited for adaptation, with a high potential for success.

For decades, “Magic: The Gathering” has reigned supreme as a popular choice in the realm of tabletop and online collectible card games. Now, the intellectual property behind this classic game is aiming to extend its media influence with an innovative step taken by the game’s creators.

Magic: The Gathering essentially paved the way for today’s widely-played trading card games, debuting in 1993 with influences from role-playing games and intricate mechanics that outdid other mainstream card games. Unlike anything before it, the game swiftly gained popularity and cultivated a loyal player base that has only expanded over time. Since then, new cards, mechanics, and formats have been introduced, and collaborations with renowned IPs such as Final Fantasy through special Magic: The Gathering card series have also taken place. By the 2020s, the game had achieved annual earnings comparable to some of the most successful Hollywood franchises.

For years, there have been fascinating collaborations between “Magic: The Gathering” and other intellectual properties. Now, the game is taking another step closer to its collaborators with a new partnership. As reported by TheWrap, this popular card game will be transformed into a film and television franchise through a collaboration between Hasbro Entertainment, the IP holder, and Legendary Entertainment, a film production company. The initial plan is to release a feature film first, followed by TV series and other projects. This move was announced late in 2024 when Netflix started working on an animated adaptation of “Magic: The Gathering.” Zev Foreman, Head of Film at Hasbro Entertainment, said, “This partnership with Legendary is thrilling and complementary, uniting one of the world’s most famous brands with a skilled and successful manager.” He added, “‘Magic: The Gathering’ has inspired decades of imaginative world-building and creative storytelling. It fits perfectly with Legendary’s diverse approach to premium IP, and we are eager to work together to create a new ‘Magic: The Gathering’ universe.

In the 2010s, Hasbro attempted to create a movie based on “Magic: The Gathering”, but this plan was halted due to Disney’s acquisition of Fox. Since then, Hasbro has remained quiet about the project. This decision appears to be part of their broader strategy to maximize the use of their intellectual properties (IP) in film and television. Recently, Hasbro has been actively seeking partnerships to develop film and TV franchises for other IP they own such as “Clue”, “Monopoly”, “Trivial Pursuit”, and “Scrabble”. This move might have been influenced by the success of the recent adaptation of another tabletop game from their collection, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”. While it’s unlikely that “Magic: The Gathering” will gain mainstream popularity to the same extent as “Dungeons & Dragons”, an adaptation could still pique interest in the IP and potentially attract new players. If successful, the film could be a significant source of income and relevance for Hasbro, opening up additional opportunities to explore different mediums and sell merchandise.

The chances of success for Magic: The Gathering are extremely promising because its foundation in fantasy and influence from role-playing games make it more adaptable than an average card game might be. If the companies collaborate effectively to deliver a high-quality new franchise without any issues related to poor AI from Hasbro, fans will undoubtedly enjoy the film when it premieres in theaters.

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2025-02-07 19:33