Magic: The Gathering
‘s upcoming movie is facing an uphill climb, especially considering the fact that the movie likely can’t use a key element that brings universal audiences together. Fantasy is a challenging genre to get right on the big screen. Either the stories are too vast and sprawling, the world’s are too rigid and bound by rules, or things feel far too alien and outlandish to thoroughly enjoy. However, when a fantasy film has a balance that appeals to wider audiences, it can make all the difference.
For Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, comedy and humor was subtle, but it was present. And for other major fantasy films like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the movies lean even more heavily into that comedy element. However, if a fantasy series aims to maintain a more serious and sombre tone, then the format is usually better suited for television, as seen in Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials, and The Wheel of Time. And as far as the MTG movie is concerned, it may struggle if it can’t find a good balance.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Humor Made The Movie Work, But That Tone Won’t Suit Magic: The Gathering
Despite Their Similarities, D&D And MTG Are Very Different Games
Both MTG and D&D have their foundations in a real world game that encourages players to engage in the fantastical side of the story. D&D, as a role-playing game, is designed to have players imagine and create whatever narrative they choose, as they engage with friends and create a story that can continue indefinitely, with ups, downs and everything else in between. MTG, on the other hand, is a more compeтιтive format that pits players against each other as they seek to dominate the battlefield and win a decisive victory. As such, MTG tends to be more serious, although the role-playing side is emphasized less.
When it comes to creating a film about MTG, it will no doubt include Planeswalkers, magical creatures, spells, magic, and all sorts of intriguing fantasy elements, but it’s unlikely to have a story that could be characterized as comical. Instead, the world of MTG resembles TLOTR more closely, with vast lore and a wide range of species, factions, and kingdoms. But fitting a significant portion of that into a movie, and trying to keep the audience enthusiastically engaged without some lighter moments and comedy beats will prove challenging.
A More Serious Tone Can Help Magic: The Gathering Avoid D&D’s Box Office Disappointment
Getting The Tone Of MTG Right Will Be Critical
For Magic: The Gathering to succeed at the box office, the film will need to lean into its strengths. It needs to include iconic characters from the card game, and it needs to choose a smaller portion of the events to focus on and build a story around. And this very likely means the film will need to maintain a more serious tone, rather than confusing the audience with mixed messages and loose storytelling that tries to do everything, and ends up doing nothing well.
This means there is a ready-made audience prepared to give the film a chance, but that won’t last if the movie feels totally unrecognizable.
MTG is a fantastically popular game, with a dedicated fanbase that ranges from the casual card player to the hardcore Friday Night Magic tournament champion. This means there is a ready-made audience prepared to give the film a chance, but that won’t last if the movie feels totally unrecognizable. It needs to feel like the game, and for that to happen, there needs to be some form of conflict and contention. If the movie can get the tone of Magic: The Gathering right, it has a chance to succeed, and potentially even outperform Honor Among Thieves.
