Summary
A Minecraft Movieis coming up for release and will be the first feature film adaptation of Mojang Studios' phenomenally popular crafting game. Based on a new featurette, it appears some notableMinecraftYouTubers had a hand in the making of the film adaptation.
Fans are eagerly awaiting to see how Mojang Studios’ massively popular online sandbox game translates to the screen. The story follows a group of everyday people who are transported into the fantastical overworld where everything is cube-shaped and creativity is the ultimate weapon.Jack Black leads the movie as Steve(a reference to the player character from the game), alongside Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, Emma Myers, and Jennifer Coolidge (in an unknown role). Like other recent video game adaptations, Mojang Studios is collaborating closely with Warner Bros. and the film’s director Jared Hess to bring the world of theMinecraftgame to screen faithfully.
Earlier in the year, Hess said thatA Minecraft Movieis named very intentionallyto reflect the idea that anyone can bring their creativity toMinecraft, which is something that YouTubers have been doing at a high level for years. In a behind-the-scenes video posted onMinecraft’sofficial YouTube channel, it’s been revealed that several YouTube creators were invited to the set ofA Minecraft Movie. Mojang Studios’ Creative Director of Entertainment, Torfi Frans Olaffson, said that “the players had a big influence on the movie. We asked Mumbo Jumbo to help us, and he wound up building quite a bit.” Accompanying this line is footage ofMumbo Jumboon the set helping to craft a cubic cactus weapon. Later in the video, Mumbo Jumbo is joined by other YouTubersDanTDM, Aphmau, and LDShadowLady, who pose with cast members Black and Momoa.
AsMinecraftis a game that is soreliant on a player’s creativity, it’s natural thatA Minecraft Moviewould want to honor that by involving some of the game’s most popular creators in the production process. It’s unclear to what extent these streamers were involved in the making of the movie and whether they might appear on-screen in some type of cameo. There seems to be a limited group of cast members who actually appear human (and not cubic) inA Minecraft Movie, but even if the creators don’t appear physically in the film, some of their ideas may be noticeable to fans. “This movie is a joyful celebration of everything aboutMinecraftand creativity,” Black said in the featurette.
We asked Mumbo Jumbo to help us, and he wound up building quite a bit.
A Minecraft Movie’sfirst trailer was initially met with skepticism from many fans whocriticized the visualsand jokes in the movie. Behind-the-scenes featurettes have slowly been turning the tide in the movie’s favor as fans get a glimpse into the level of detail and effort that went into creating theMinecraftworld physically. As production designer Grant Major said during the video “Everything’s cubic. Square trees, square fruit, square trunks, square grass, square flowers.” Introducing feedback from players, specifically reveredMinecraftcreators like Mumbo Jumbo, only further indicates thatA Minecraft Moviehas the game community’s best interests at heart. Whether the movie ends up living to players' hopes and dreams, however, remains to be seen.
A Minecraft Moviewill be released in theaters on May 14, 2025.
Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox video game that puts players in procedurally generated worlds and offers them no guidance whatsoever in where to go or what to do, creating a sense of freedom that was unparalleled in 2011.Minecraft has gone on to become the highest-selling video game of all time.
