Magic: The Gathering: Animated series replaces Russo Brothers with Jeff Kline

Now that Joe and Anthony Russo have parted ways with the upcoming Magic: The Gathering animated series, it’s time to crown their replacement. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Jeff Kline, the project’s new executive producer and head of a new creative team for the CG-animated adaptation.

The show was first announced in June 2019, with the Russos already attached. The duo was slated to executive produce the series in addition to overseeing the development of an all-new storyline. Joining them at the time were Henry Gilroy and Jose Molina, who had been tasked with building a story around the Planeswalkers, the game’s magic-wielding heroes and villains. Word around the old watercooler suggests that the Russos and their creative team left the series due to creative differences. However, before they took their leave of the project, the Russos did give Kline their blessing to take creative control.

In addition to Kline, new players for Magic: The Gathering include Steve Melching, who will co-executive produce and serve as story editor. Acting as the project’s supervising director is Audu Paden, with scripting duties falling to Nicole Dubuc, Russell Sommer, Dan Frey, and Taneka Stotts. Izzy Medrano is the project’s art director. The animation will be provided by Snowball Studios.

Created by Richard Garfield, Magic: The Gathering came onto the tabletop gaming scene in 1993. The game itself outfits players with powerful trading cards that contain magical spells, characters, traps, and more. The game is unfathomably popular and has been converted into a digital version of itself, an esports league, a comic book series, and a best-selling novel. Fans of the franchise are bound to hold the animated series to high standards. Let’s hope Kline and his team can take the uber-popular gaming property to great heights.