Netflix’s animated Magic: The Gathering series is headed for the graveyard. The project based on the popular collectible card game has been cancelled, according to star Brandon Routh. Routh revealed the news to Collider’s Steve Weintraub during an interview for his new movie Ick at the Toronto International Film Festival. When asked about the status of the project, which was announced in 2019 and initially slated to be released in 2022, Routh had some bad news:

 

“I’m not sure. I did do a voice for it. As far as I understand, nobody’s put out a press release about it, but apparently it’s not happening. That’s kind of old news. I’m not sure why it’s surfacing again.”

Routh was set to voice Gideon Jura, a noble Planeswalker and one of the card game’s most famous heroes. Although it had been fully written and recorded, the series dropped off the radar around the same time that Netflix cancelled a number of in-development animation projects, including adaptations of Bone, Wings of Fire, Antiracist Baby, Pashmina, and a Jamie Hewlett-directed Gorillaz film.

What Creatives Were Working on ‘Magic: The Gathering’?

Brandon Routh stares down in fear with his students in 'Ick'
Image via AGC Studios

The series was originally set to be produced by hitmaking directors Joe and Anthony Russo, with Henry Gilroy (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Jose Molina (Firefly) as head writers. That team departed due to creative differences, and Jeff Kline (Transformers: Prime) became the series’ new executive producer. Kline brought in his own crew, including co-executive producer and story editor Steve Melching (Star Wars: Rebels), supervising director Audu Paden (Monster High), art director Izzy Medrano, and writers Nicole Dubuc, Russell Sommer, Dan Frey, and Taneka Stotts. Despite the solid pedigree of both teams, however, it appears the series fell victim to Netflix’s cost-cutting measures. It’s a familiar situation for Magic: The Gathering fans; a feature film was in the works at 20th Century Fox with Game of Thrones‘ Bryan Cogman set to pen the script until it was canceled when Disney acquired the studio in 2019.

Although Magic: The Gathering won’t be happening, Routh can be seen in Joseph Kahn‘s horror comedy Ick. Routh stars alongside Mena Suvari and Malina Weissman as a high school science teacher who tries to prevent his small town from being overrun by the monstrous, malevolent plant of the same name.

Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering animated series will not be released. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and more news out of TIFF.

Special thanks to this year’s partners of the Cinema Center x Collider Studio at TIFF 2024 including presenting Sponsor Range Rover Sport as well as supporting sponsors Peoples Group financial services, poppi soda, Don Julio Tequila, Legend Water and our venue host partner Marbl Toronto. And also Roxstar Entertainment, our event producing partner and Photagonist Canada for the photo and video services