Magic: The Gathering Netflix Series In The Works With Avengers Endgame Directors

Magic: The Gathering has been a hugely popular game for more than 25 years, but while video games, comics, and books have been produced in that time, a screen adaptation is yet to happen. This is about the change however, with the news that Avengers: Endgame director Joe and Anthony Russo are adapting the fantasy card game into an anime series for Netflix.

The streaming giant has announced that the Russos will be teaming with Wizards of The Coast, which first released Magic in 1993, and its parent company Hasbro, to executive produce the show. In a statement, the Russos said: "We have been huge fans and players of Magic: The Gathering for as long as it has been around, so being able to help bring these stories to life through animation is a true passion project for us."

Netflix states that the show will "expand on the stories of the Planeswalkers." Planeswalkers are the most powerful beings that the player can take the role of, as well as a type of card in the game. Beyond that no further plot details are known, and a release date is yet to be announced. The show will be written by Henry Gilroy, who worked on the animated Star Wars shows The Clone Wars and Rebels, and Jose Molina, whose credits include The Tick and Agent Carter.

Magic: The Gathering was the first ever trading card game, and 2015 it was reported that it has more than 20 million players worldwide. A Magic movie was previously in the works, initially at Universal, and more recently at Fox. It is unknown if a film is still being developed.

In related news, it was confirmed last week that production of The Witcher, Netflix's adaptation of the fantasy novel series-turned-video game has now finished. The show is set to arrive later this year.