Maya Hawke, best known for her role in Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’, is set to star in a live-action film adaptation of the popular trading card game ‘Magic: The Gathering’.
According to Variety, Hawke’s character has not been revealed, and plot details remain under wraps. According to Deadline, which first reported the casting, she is expected to lead an ensemble whose other members have yet to be announced.
Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment are producing the film, with Matt Johnson, known for ‘BlackBerry’ and ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show’, directing. Johnson, a longtime fan of the game, is also writing the screenplay alongside Noah Gardner, known for ‘Super 8’, and Aidan Fitzgerald, who worked on ‘Calls’.
Created as a fantasy trading card game, ‘Magic: The Gathering’ takes place across a multiverse of fictional worlds. Players assume the roles of powerful wizards known as Planeswalkers and engage in magical battles.
Johnson shared a personal story about his experience playing the game competitively, recalling how a disappointing tournament performance once made him consider abandoning film school to become a professional player. He concluded his anecdote with an encouraging message to aspiring players: “In every pool, there is a day 2 deck.”
Beyond ‘Stranger Things’, Hawke’s credits include Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’, ‘Do Revenge’ and Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’. She also voiced Anxiety in Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’.
Hawke will next appear in Lionsgate’s ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’.
