April 14, 2026
Eyebolls Unveils Magic: The Gathering’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Launch Trailer
Directed by Phil Hawkins with animation direction from Tony Cervone, the mixed-media film blends live action and hand-drawn animation to introduce the iconic characters into the Magic: The Gathering universe.
Eyebolls has created the new live-action and animation launch trailer introducing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into the Magic: The Gathering universe, developed in close partnership with Wizards of the Coast.
To bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into one of the world’s most established fantasy settings, the studio assembled a bespoke senior team spanning live action, animation, and visual effects. Directed by Phil Hawkins (Robin and the Hoods, Prancer: A Christmas Tale, It Lies Within) with animation direction from industry veteran Tony Cervone (Space Jam, Looney Tunes, SCOOB!), the project was developed in-house, with Eyebolls handling script development, creative direction, storyboarding, animation direction, live-action production, and post. The final trailer premiered during the Mutant Mayhem Regal cinema event (March 27–29), with a 30-second cut running in theatres ahead of the screenings.
“We were brought in very early, with a loose script and an initial idea,” says Hawkins. “From there, we developed it into something cinematic, taking it from script and boards through to the final film with Tony and the team.”
Working with legacy characters meant understanding why the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have endured across generations. The team focused on preserving the personalities, humour, and behavioural traits audiences already connect with, while introducing subtle, inventive touches to suit the Magic world.
“They’ve been around for decades, with countless interpretations,” says animation director Tony Cervone. “You need to understand what the audience loves about them and why they’ve endured. You stay true to that foundation, but you also give people something new.”
That balance was overseen by Eyebolls founders Rhona Drummond and Victoria Watson, keeping the creative, schedule, and budget on track from pitch through delivery
“Eyebolls was built on the belief that the best work starts with listening,” says Watson. “That’s especially important when you’re acting as a caretaker of iconic IPs. It’s about bringing the right people together, keeping communication open, and respecting what makes a property enduring while moving it forward.”
The trailer merges traditional hand-drawn animation with live action, with every creative decision built around integration. Rather than shying away from the interaction between the two elements, the team leaned into it, treating the animation as 2.5D to give the characters volume and presence within the live-action space. The shoot, lighting, and performances were all designed to support direct interaction between actors and animation.
“At its core, it’s traditional animation,” says Cervone. “Absolutely hand-drawn characters integrated into a live-action world. Making it believable meant focusing completely on that integration. Every choice was designed to support it. When an animated character truly interacts with live action, you start believing it immediately. The goal wasn’t just for the animation to fit in, but to elevate everything around it.”