A movie that encapsulates magic the gathering would take forever to make, right? Well not to worry giant Hollywood studio that is certainly reading this, I have done all the casting for you already. I await my check.
The Elevator Pitch
Magic the Gathering is a hot property right now, it is a game that is played all over the world and has spawned a huge amount of products including video games. So what’s the next step? Why a giant summer film, of course. It’s like Harry Potter dialed up to 11, it’s like Seven Samurai if they were all Gandalf-level magic badasses. It’s like Die Hard with Magic.
The Story
The old wars have been forgotten, but one creature still remembers, Nicol Bolas, the elder dragon. Now he travels the multiverse gathering unwitting pawns to his dark designs. Who will stand against him? Reluctantly a new breed of planeswalkers arises. Their styles and magic are as different as can be, but they will have to work together to crush this ancient evil.
The Cast
Here we go, try not to hurt yourself as the awesomeness of this list washes over you.
Amanda Seyfried as Elspeth Tirel
The Survivor of a world destroyed by a dark force, Elspeth is no stranger to the fight against evil. She seeks a world untouched by darkness, but Nicol Bolas and his subjects threaten the peace she so desperately seeks. Key to playing her would be an outer strength and inner vulnerabilty. Something I feel Amanda Seyfried could easily deliver. Besides we already know she looks good in a hood.
John Cho as Jace Beleren
Jace Beleren is too clever for his own good, he is a little cocky and has a lot of confidence in his ability to deceive and manipulate others. John Cho can deliver this, we know he can play smart, and if you saw him in How I Met Your Mother, you know he can play conniving.
Bradley Cooper as Sorin Markov
Sorin Markov is a vampire and a planeswalker, which makes him alluring, powerful and dangerous. Bradley Cooper is currently walking the line between drama action and comedy, and I think that’s a good thing. He could really shine as the self-interested ancient. Besides, look at those piercing blue eyes, am I right ladies?
Dwayne Johnson as Garruk
Garruk is a hunter, a man of action and someone who is in touch with his feral side. Who better to play him than Dwayne Johnson? He’s got the build and the voice all he needs is the helmet.
Emma Stone as Chandra Nalaar
This is really a no-brainer. Much like Jace, Chandra often gets herself into trouble, but unlike Jace, she gets herself out of it by blowing things up. Feisty Emma Stone would be a great fit for the Planeswalking Pyromaniac.
The Antagonists
Rory Cochrane as Sarkhan Vol
Sarkhan Vol was once a fierce dragon-shaman, but he has been under Bolas’ control for so long that he has been driven mad. Rory Cochrane certainly has the chops to play that and if you saw him in A Scanner Darkly, I think you’d agree.
Olivia Wilde as Liliana Vess
Dark, Mysterious and Captivating, Liliana Vess is one of the oldest planeswalkers around, although you wouldn’t know it to look at her. She is biding her time until she can usurp Nicol Bolas’ power and become powerful enough to destroy those who would oppose her. Olivia Wilde has more than proven that she is an action girl and although we usually see her on the side of good, it would be intriguing to see her play bad for a change.
Keith Powell As Tezzeret
Hear me out on this one. Tezzeret is a brilliant artificer and magician, but his quest for knowledge has gone awry and now he finds himself under Bolas’ control. We know Keith Powell can play smart and articulate, it would only take a little more to bring life to a character reluctantly using his brilliance while seeking his freedom.
David Kaye as (The Voice of) Nicol Bolas
Wait who? Yes, David Kaye is a voice over artist that has been around for a long time, but in my mind, the most amazing work he has ever done was as the voice of Megatron in Beast Wars. He would bring Nicol Bolas a gravitas that few others could achieve. His voice stylings could get us what we want from our big bad: Strength, ferocity and charm.
That’s a Wrap
I believe that Magic: The Gathering is still in its infancy as a property and that soon we’ll start hearing a lot more about it in the mainstream media. But until then we’ll just have to settle with pretending like we’re casting Gwen Stacy for three-and-a-red.
Oh yeah, and I do realize that I didn’t include EVERY planeswalker here. Gotta leave some for the sequel, right?
20 Comments
This sounds cool hope they dont mess it up… I wonder if this takes place during the Alara conflict or if its unrelated, also Awwwww no Ajani, Gideon or Koth
You’d have to choose a couple of the main planeswalkers out of the five to focus the story around, but it sounds like a great casting list. My only real problem is I would have a very difficult time rooting against Olivia Wilde.
Magic would make a great summer blockbuster movie, but you have to be careful what you wish for. With all the explosions it would require you might end up with Micheal Bay directing it.
Okay, John Cho is great, Rory Cochrane is great, Kieth Powell is interesting.
But, they all need to fight each other and any semblance of Superfriends power team up needs to be squashed by constant infighting and plots to turn the fight against Bolas into others defeat.
Also, you need Ajani. Possibly played by Avery Brooks he’s not doing anything.
For Gideon Jura, I suggest Hugh Jackman.
I just had a nerdgasm. This very well could be a fantastic movie
If they do this they had better do a prequel about the brothers’ war.
And where is Phyrexia? they’ve been doing bad stuff since before Nicol Bolas was around.
I can’t resist nerding on this, sorry.
Historically, I believe you’re right, though I can’t find anything that confirms one way or the other when Bolas was actually introduced to Magic. Which is really irritating.
But canonically, they haven’t. Bolas was around millennia before the Thran Empire, and he’s at least 15,000 years older than Yawgmoth. And if they make a movie, it’ll be be based on story canon, not product history.
But personally, I think if they do a movie, the entire Brother’s story should be the sole focus. Start with some REAL Magic history.
Agreed.
I do believe, remembering from 1 of the first 4 books, that Urza woke Bolas to help fight off a Phyrexian invasion, where he needs the dragons to help him.
But yeah, Brothers’ War should definitely be the first movie, and then make a series of movies about key events. Like the history of the Thran/rise of Phyrexia, the rise of Yawgmoth.
Personally, i think book 2, Planeswalker, would also make a great movie, or atleast, half of a movie. Lot of character development in that one.
But imho, a movie about the Brothers’ War would be like Lord of the Rings, or atleast 2 3-hour movies.
Nicol Bolas first appeared in Legends, the third expansion, in 1994. He was part of a cycle of legendary Elder Dragons and is the only one still considered a good card. Phyrexia actually predates him in terms of card history, the first mention of them was in the Antiquities set which came before, but it wasn’t much more than a flavorful name.
That’s a very awesome idea. MTG has been around so long it deserves a movie. I Don’t care if it’s 4 or more hours long, bring it! If tons of video games con get movies so can MTG. I have no discrepencies with the cast as long as their make up makes them look like the Planeswalker and they play thier role properly and stick to theMagic story cycle properly. So to close I think it’s a very inovative and fun idea and I hope it happens. One last thing Replying to Giant Nerd, I completely agree with the Bolas Issue, Ihappen to be a huge dragon freak and hope he has the biggest role and is properly introduce with all the history properly. So I’ve spoke my mind let’s hope it works and happens!
Brilliant cast!
And I have to say, your choice for Jace was MUCH better than the guy I would have picked (*cough*Luke Wilson*cough*). I would, however, lean towards someone like Peter Cullen for the role of Bolas, and also Bruce Willis as Gideon.
And Keith Powell would be totally badass as Tezzeret, but he’d have to grow out those sicknasty dreads and then shave it all off before going back to 30 Rock. That’s some serious hair commitment.
wig. that is all.
love the cast for the crew and yes if u left a few planeswalkers you would need those to return in a sequel also leave room for a prequel……. ■Ajani Goldmane ■Baltrice ■Bo Levar (deceased) ■Chandra Nalaar ■Commodore Guff (deceased) ■Dack Fayden ■Daria (deceased) ■Dyfed(deceased) ■Elspeth Tirel ■Faralyn ■Fatima ■Freyalise (deceased) ■Garruk ■Geyadrone Dihada ■Gideon Jura ■Jace Beleren ■Jaya Ballard (deceased) ■Jeska (deceased) ■Karn (lost in the Blind Eternites, lost spark, but then regained spark) ■Koth ■Kristina (deceased) ■Leshrac (deceased) ■Liliana Vess ■Nicol Bolas ■Nissa Revane ■Niv-Mizzet ■Ob Nixilis (lost planeswalker spark) ■Radha (spark “extinguished”) ■Ravidel ■Sandruu ■Sarkhan Vol ■Serra ■Slobad (absorbed Glissa’s spark, then gave it up to revive her) ■Sorin Markov ■Taysir (deceased) ■Teferi (lost planeswalker spark) ■Tevash Szat (deceased) ■Tezzeret ■Urza (deceased) ■Venser (deceased) ■Windgrace (unknown fate, possibly deceased)
Other versions of common PlaneswalkersEdit ■Chandra, the Firebrand ■Garruk, Primal Hunter ■Jace, Memory Adept ■Sarkhan the Mad ■Jace, the Mind Sculptor ■Chandra Ablaze ■Garruk Relentless ■Garruk, The Veil Cursed ■Ajani Vengeant ■Liliana of the Veil ■Elspeth, Knight-Errant ■Sorin, Lord of Innistrad ………..as well if it is more than a base of something similar to lord of the rings or harry potter action packed/ computer animated /real human / detailed graphic film …..and for all ages to view…. oppose to that of being to old to see by being rated R ….and then the younger generation that play could not see due to some R rating ……..keep it PG to PG-13…make like all the Marvel/DC comic moves/like Transformers/ like Harry Potter/ like Lord OF The Rings/ like the Terminator all fantasy and great action great animations great computer generated graphics making it look real im hoping and praying they make this movie before 2012 ends………Hurry up Holly Wood you could make millions more movies than the harry potter set because of how far back MTG RPG dates and how many story relations exist in this game…C’mon Hollywood
Honestly i think it should be rated r magic is amature audience, should be bloody real gory with intimate scenes
maybe you should doa series. a season for each set that include or will include planeswalkers
Now theres rumor that Disney is aquiring M:tG… You might see Yensid as a Plaineswalker soon.
My only problem is your Jace choice. You should find a guy who greatly resembles the Jace Beleren on the front cover of Return to Ravnica: the Secretist Part 1. And who knows; he may be just some random guy off the street. Give us not-so-famous people a chance. But that’s my only beaf.
Jace Beleren should be play by an American.
Thanks.
I totally agree with Dwayne Johnson but please, if we are going to have Garruk, don’t give him the stupid biker jacket from Innistrad!
honestly I can’t see Dwayne Johnson as garruk, or john cho as jace but I can see emma stone as Chandra.
I think Ed Helms should voice Ajani