Wikipedia

A Minecraft Movie

(Redirected from Minecraft (2025 film))
"Minecraft (film)" redirects here. For the 2012 documentary film, see Minecraft: The Story of Mojang.

A Minecraft Movie is an upcoming American adventure comedy film directed by Jared Hess, from a screenplay written by Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer, based on the 2011 video game Minecraft developed by Mojang Studios. The film stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge.

A Minecraft Movie
The face of a Creeper from Minecraft, made of grass/moss with its eyes and mouth in black blocky style.
Teaser poster
Directed byJared Hess
Screenplay by
Based onMinecraft
by Mojang Studios
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEnrique Chediak
Edited byJames Thomas
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • April 4, 2025 (2025-04-04) (United States)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plans for a Minecraft film adaptation were announced in February 2014 when Minecraft creator Markus Persson revealed that Mojang was in talks with Warner Bros. Pictures to develop the project, with Roy Lee, and Jill Messick producing. During development, filmmakers Shawn Levy, Rob McElhenney, and Peter Sollett, were initially hired to direct, while writers Kieran, and Michele Mulroney, Jason Fuchs, Aaron and Adam Nee, and Allison Schroeder, were attached. In April 2022, Hess was hired as the new director and Momoa was in talks to star. Further casting took place from May 2023 to January 2024. Principal photography began later that month in New Zealand and concluded in mid-April 2024. An official teaser was released on September 4, 2024.

A Minecraft Movie is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 4, 2025.

Premise

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Four misfits – Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) – find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like piglins and zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Jack Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.

— Warner Bros. Pictures[1]

Cast

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Additionally, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement, and Matt Berry have been cast in undisclosed roles.[8][9][10]

Production

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Development

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In 2012, Mojang Studios received offers from Hollywood producers who wanted to produce Minecraft-related television series. However, Mojang stated they would only engage in such projects when "the right idea comes along".[11] Two years later, in February 2014, an attempt to crowdfund a fan film through Kickstarter was shut down after Markus 'Notch' Persson declined to let the filmmakers use the license, the given reason being that the Kickstarter was set up before any agreement with Mojang had been made.[12][13] That same month, Persson revealed that Mojang was in talks with Warner Bros. Pictures to develop an official Minecraft film to be produced by Roy Lee and Jill Messick.[14][15] In October 2014, Mojang CCO Vu Bui stated that the movie was "in its early days of development", saying that it was a "large-budget" production, and also said that it might not be released until 2018.[16][17] That same month, Warner Bros. hired Shawn Levy to direct the film,[18] while in December, it was confirmed that Levy and writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney, who were developing the film together had left the project.[19]

In July 2015, it was announced that Warner Bros. had hired Rob McElhenney to direct the film. According to McElhenney, he had been drawn to the film based on the open-world nature of the game, an idea Warner Bros. had initially agreed with and for which they had provided him with a preliminary US$150 million budget.[20][21] In 2016, early production started on the film, including in June assigning a release date of May 24, 2019,[22] in October setting Jason Fuchs to write the script,[23] and in November contracting Steve Carell to star as the voice of an unknown character.[24] McElhenney's Minecraft film "slowly died on the vine", and due to scheduling conflicts, he left the film in August 2018.[25] Aaron and Adam Nee were tapped to rewrite the script and the film was delayed as a result. No new director was announced at that time.[26]

In January 2019, Peter Sollett was announced to write and direct the film, featuring an entirely different story from McElhenney's version. Messick, who died in 2018, will be posthumously credited as producer.[27] In April 2019, Warner Bros. scheduled the new film to be released in theaters on March 4, 2022.[28][29] In June 2019, Allison Schroeder was hired to write the script and co-write the story with Sollett.[30] In October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Warner Bros. to adjust its release schedule, including removing the Minecraft film from its planned release date.[31]

Sollett instead directed Metal Lords, which was released exclusively on Netflix in April 2022. That same month, production on the Minecraft film was announced to be moving forward without Sollett and Schroeder, now with Jared Hess set to direct, Legendary Entertainment to co-produce (through its executive Mary Parent) and Jason Momoa in early talks to star. The film was also confirmed to be live action.[2] It was also reported that Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer would rewrite the script.[4][5] In early April 2023, it was reported that the film would release on April 4, 2025.[32][33]

Casting

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In May 2023, Matt Berry entered negotiations to join the cast.[10] Later, in November, Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen joined the cast.[7] In December, Emma Myers also joined the cast.[6] In January 2024, Jack Black (who previously worked with Hess on Nacho Libre) joined the cast, teasing his casting in the film via his official Instagram account.[34][3] Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, and Jemaine Clement were also cast in undisclosed roles.[8][9]

Filming

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On June 19, 2023, it was reported that principal photography on the film would start on August 7 in New Zealand,[35] before filming was delayed in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[36] Following the conclusion of the strike in early November 2023, filming was reported to be aiming for an early 2024 start.[37] With the announcement of Brooks and Hansen as part of the cast, filming was scheduled to begin in late December 2023.[7] Filming had begun by mid-January 2024 in Auckland and ended in mid-April, with Grant Major serving as the production designer,[38] and Enrique Chediak serving as the cinematographer.[39]

Post-production

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Visual effects for the film are provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks, with Dan Lemmon serving as visual effects supervisor.[40] James Thomas serves as the film’s editor.[41]

Music

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Mark Mothersbaugh will compose the score, while Gabe Hilfer and Karyn Rachtman serve as music supervisors.[39] The song, Magical Mystery Tour, performed by The Beatles was featured in the teaser trailer.

Marketing

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On September 4, 2024, the film's first teaser, set to "Magical Mystery Tour" by The Beatles, was released to a generally negative response.[42] Paul Tassi, on Forbes, called it "utterly horrifying in almost every conceivable way."[43] The Verge said that besides its "unsettling imagery", it "looks like some silly family fun".[44] TechRadar could not decide whether it was "drop-dead gorgeous or the stuff of nightmares."[45] Conversely, Markus Persson, the original creator of Minecraft, praised the trailer on Twitter, saying "Ok i'm in[.] Wow this is a weird feeling."[46] Various clips and images from the trailer, such as a bleating pink sheep and Jack Black as Steve saying "I... am Steve", became internet memes.[47][48] Many have also criticized the film’s lack of originality and unfaithfulness to the source material, with many comparing the film's synopsis to the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which also starred Black.[citation needed] On September 7, 2024, Forbes reported a 573,000 to 1,100,000 like-to-dislike ratio on YouTube, despite dislike visibility being removed.[48]

Release

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A Minecraft Movie is set to be released theatrically in IMAX in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on April 4, 2025.[b] Initially it was scheduled to be released on May 24, 2019,[22] but on April 26, 2019, Warner Bros. delayed the film to March 4, 2022.[28][29] On October 6, 2020, Warner Bros. removed the film from the release schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid direct competition with The Batman (2022).[31] On April 5, 2023, after being undated for over two years, the film was given its current release date.[33][50]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Messick died in February 2018; she will receive a posthumous credit in the film.
  2. ^ Attributed to multiple sources:[32][33][26][49]

References

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  1. ^ WarnerBros.com | A Minecraft Movie
  2. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (April 18, 2022). "Minecraft Movie to Star Jason Momoa". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  3. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 2, 2024). "Jack Black Levels Up For 'Minecraft' At Warner Bros – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (April 18, 2022). "Jason Momoa In Talks To Star In 'Minecraft' Movie At Warner Bros". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Forristal, Lauren (April 19, 2022). "HBO Max backs 'Minecraft' movie with 'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  6. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 6, 2023). "'Minecraft': 'Wednesday' Star Emma Myers Digs Into Warner Bros Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 30, 2023). "'Minecraft': Warner Bros. Movie Adds Danielle Brooks & Sebastian Eugene Hansen". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  8. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 17, 2024). "'Minecraft' Movie Finds Gem In Jennifer Coolidge". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  9. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 18, 2024). "'Minecraft' Adds Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement to Jason Momoa Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (May 23, 2023). "Matt Berry In Talks To Join Jason Momoa In Warner Bros' Minecraft". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
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  21. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 21, 2015). "Minecraft Movie Gets Director: 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's Rob McElhenney". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  22. ^ a b Galuppo, Mia (June 27, 2016). "Warner Bros.' 'Minecraft' Movie Gets Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 28, 2016.
  23. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 13, 2016). "'Wonder Woman' Scribe Jason Fuchs to Write Latest Draft of 'Minecraft' (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016.
  24. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 15, 2016). "Steve Carell in Talks to Join 'Minecraft' Movie at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  25. ^ Gera, Emily (February 24, 2020). "Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney explains what went wrong for his $150 Million Minecraft movie". VG247. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  26. ^ a b Gonzalez, Umberto; Tony Maglio (August 3, 2018). "'Minecraft' Movie Delayed: Rob McElhenney Out as Director, Nee Brothers Tapped to Write (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  27. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2019). "Peter Sollett to Direct Warner Bros.' 'Minecraft' Movie (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  28. ^ a b D'Anastasio, Cecilia (April 16, 2019). "On March 4, 2022, Warner Bros. and Mojang will be releasing a Minecraft movie". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  29. ^ a b "The Minecraft Movie Is Just Around The Corner". Minecraft.net. April 16, 2019. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  30. ^ Kit, Borys (June 24, 2019). "'Frozen 2' Writer Allison Schroeder Tackling 'Minecraft' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  31. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 5, 2020). "Dune Drifting Away From December to October 2021". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  32. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 5, 2023). "'Aquaman 2' Going Earlier, 'Minecraft', "Wise Guys" Get Release Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  33. ^ a b c McClintock, Pamela (April 5, 2023). "Jason Momoa's 'Minecraft' Lands April 2025 Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  34. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (January 2, 2024). "Jack Black Cast in "Minecraft" Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  35. ^ Watel, Stephanie (June 20, 2023). "Live-Action Minecraft Movie to Start Filming in August". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  36. ^ Earl, William (July 14, 2023). "All the TV Shows and Movies Affected by the SAG Actors Strike (Updating)". Variety. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  37. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Kroll, Justin (November 8, 2023). "Actors Strike Over: 'Deadpool', 'Gladiator', 'Beetlejuice 2', 'Venom' Sequels Resume Filming". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  38. ^ Means, Sean P. (January 15, 2024). "What happened after 'Napoleon Dynamite' — and the big movie its Utah filmmakers are making next". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Chitwood, Adam (September 4, 2024). "First 'Minecraft' Movie Teaser Builds Anticipation With Sheep, Jack Black and Jason Momoa in Bangs". TheWrap. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  40. ^ "A Minecraft Movie | Sony Pictures Imageworks". www.imageworks.com. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  41. ^ Evans, Greg (September 4, 2024). "'A Minecraft Movie' Teaser: Roll Up For A Magical Mystery Tour". Deadline. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  42. ^ Webster, Andrew (September 4, 2024). "The Minecraft Movie's first trailer is equal parts goofy and creepy". The Verge. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  43. ^ Tassi, Paul (September 4, 2024). "The First 'Minecraft' Movie Trailer Is Here, And It Is Horrifying". Forbes. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  44. ^ Webster, Andrew (September 4, 2024). "Minecraft Movie's first trailer is equal parts goofy and creepy". The Verge. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  45. ^ Power, Tom (September 4, 2024). "The Minecraft movie's first teaser is here, and I can't decide if what's been crafted looks beautiful or horrifying". TechRadar. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  46. ^ Whitworth, Spencer (September 5, 2024). "Ok I'm in': Minecraft's creator Notch shares his excitement over upcoming live-action movie". Sportskeeda. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  47. ^ Hadge, Mike (September 4, 2024). "The Minecraft movie just dropped its first trailer, and the internet has opinions". The Daily Dot. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  48. ^ a b Tassi, Paul (September 7, 2024). "The 'Minecraft' Movie Trailer Blows Past 1 Million Dislikes". Forbes. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  49. ^ "IMAX and Warner Bros. Extend Deal to Include 12 More Films". ComingSoon.net. October 19, 2016. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  50. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (September 4, 2024). "'A Minecraft Movie' Trailer: Jack Black's Steve and Jason Momoa Meet Piglins and Creepers in Blocky Video Game World". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
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