Maya Hawke Joins Magic: The Gathering Movie
Stranger Things star Maya Hawke will headline the live-action adaptation of the trading card game, directed by Matt Johnson.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Magic
Maya Hawke will star in a live-action Magic: The Gathering movie, with Matt Johnson set to direct. Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment are producing the film, and Johnson is writing the screenplay with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
Why it matters
The project brings the long-running trading card game to the big screen, drawing on a well-known actor and a producing partnership between a film studio and the game's owner. Her casting extends a run of high-profile roles across streaming and animated films.
The film's production details are limited to the announced producers and writers, with no budget or release timing disclosed. Hawke's recent credits include Stranger Things, Inside Out 2 as the voice of Anxiety, and the upcoming Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
The players
Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke is an actress best known for playing Robin Buckley in Netflix's Stranger Things and for voicing Anxiety in Pixar's Inside Out 2.
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson is a filmmaker set to direct the Magic: The Gathering movie and is writing its screenplay with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Entertainment is a film production company that is producing the live-action Magic: The Gathering movie alongside Hasbro Entertainment.
Hasbro Entertainment
Hasbro Entertainment is the entertainment arm of toy and game maker Hasbro, producing the Magic: The Gathering film with Legendary Entertainment.
The details
Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game set across a multiverse of fantasy worlds, in which players act as wizards known as Planeswalkers. Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment are producing the live-action adaptation, and Johnson is writing the screenplay with Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Maya Hawke's casting in the Magic: The Gathering movie is announced.
Franchise Expansion
The adaptation extends Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game first released in 1993, into live-action film, following the pattern of tabletop and game properties moving to screen. Its multiverse premise gives the production a built-in world to draw on as it moves from cards to cinema.
No release date, streaming platform, or theatrical window has been announced, so viewers cannot yet plan to watch the film. Fans of the trading card game and of Hawke's work can follow the production as details are released.
The takeaway
Hawke's casting gives the Magic: The Gathering film a recognizable lead, but the project's plot, release window, and platform remain unannounced. Readers can track the production as official details emerge from Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment.
Further reading
Explore more in the Magic section for related coverage of the franchise.
