Stranger Things star Maya Hawke has joined the live-action Magic: The Gathering film from Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment, the first movie in their planned screen universe based on the trading card game.
Hawke’s casting was first reported by Deadline. Matt Johnson, who directed BlackBerry, is making the film and writing its screenplay with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
Created in 1993, Magic takes players through a multiverse of spellcasters, creatures and rival powers. Its characters and stories have expanded across card sets, novels and digital games, attracting more than 50 million fans worldwide, according to Hasbro.
Legendary and Hasbro announced their partnership in February 2025, with the feature intended to lead into television and other screen projects. Legendary’s previous fantasy and science-fiction adaptations include Dune and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Johnson brings a player’s perspective as well as a filmmaker’s. In a statement, he recalled once considering leaving film school to play Magic professionally, before a disastrous tournament left him thinking his Magic career was over. Hawke’s next film roles include The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
