At a point when video game inspired films and projects are at their healthiest state in years, off the back of HBO’s monumental success with The Last Of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie being the highest grossing film of 2023 thus far, the long awaited Minecraft movie is finally taking shape.
Inspired by the feverishly popular world building game, this live-action feature film adaptation’s plot at the moment is being kept under wraps but what we do know, since it was announced way back in 2014, is that the shape of the film has potentially shifted a few times already. Initially to be helmed by Shawn Levy (Free Guy) and scripted by Kieran and Michele Mulroney (Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows), who all left the project.
Then the directorial reigns were handed to Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) in 2015, with Jason Fuchs (Pan) writing and Steve Carell set to star. Until 2018, when McElhenney left and Fuchs was replaced with Aaron and Adam Nee (The Lost City). Then in 2019, Peter Sollett (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) was to be the new director/co-writer alongside Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures). Until COVID happened, delaying the project (a few times) further, with Sollett and Schroeder officially leaving the film in 2022, and Jared Hess (Nacho Libre) being tapped to direct, while Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer (Masterminds) were supposedly set to rewrite the script. Phew!
And that is where we are now, and finally it seems we are building things up rather than constantly restarting, as Aquaman and Fast X star Jason Momoa is not only confirmed to be the headliner of the film, but the sumptuously voiced star of The IT Crowd, What We Do In The Shadows and Toast of London Matt Berry is in talks to join the film too, which would already give the film a mighty fine cast!
Berry’s varied talents add to any project and in a film based on a game where literally anything (within reason) is possible, the film could go in any direction story wise. No doubt we will hear more about the official plot, as well as the characters, as the film starts assembling its world, as we head for the (at the moment) April 4th 2025 release date.
Let’s hope no other developments block the film’s path.