Beebom StaffThe long-awaited adaptation of one of the most successful video game titles of all time, Minecraft, has yet another release date. We really hope it’s the final one, though, and all the people who have been anticipating it for a while can finally enjoy the live-action movie based on their favorite game. If you are one of those people, keep reading because we have covered everything we know so far about the upcoming Minecraft movie. We have included everything from the release date and production crew to the possible storyline and actors involved in Minecraft: the Movie.
Minecraft Movie: Release Date
We received the first clue about the Minecraft Movie on February 27, 2014 when Notch, the creator of Minecraft, posted on Twitter that he wanted to share the news that Mojang is working with Warner Bros on a movie. Fast forward a couple of years, and Mojang confirmed that the Minecraft movie will release on May 24, 2019 “in 3D & IMAX.” The official blog post, which has since been archived, also included an image of the script and other details.
The Minecraft movie production was originally led by writer-director Rob McElhenney (more on this below). But the movie hit a snag when McElhenney decided to drop out of the project (via The Wrap) sometime in 2018. This led to an unforeseen delay, which Mojang confirmed merely a month before the original release date, missing the first deadline.
In April 2019, Mojang shared a blog post (now archived) with the new release date for the movie. This blog post not only gave us the new March 4, 2022 release date but also confirmed that director Peter Sollett (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) was leading the project. But that date came and went, and we didn’t get the much-anticipated Minecraft live-action movie. Thus, it missed the second deadline, and we saw a new director join the project in 2022 (more on this below).
The Minecraft movie is not canceled, though. The release date witnessed another delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And as per a recent Deadline report, Warner Bros has announced a new release date for the Minecraft movie — April 4, 2025. So, mark your calendars and pray that it doesn’t get pushed back any further. We’ve already waited for close to 10 years. Third time’s a charm, eh?
Minecraft Movie: Storyline
Currently, we don’t have much information about the movie’s plot besides the short description shared by Mojang (which is now archived) on the Minecraft website in April 2019. As per the post, the Minecraft movie will tell “the story of a teenage girl and her unlikely group of adventurers who must save their beautiful, blocky Overworld after the malevolent Ender Dragon sets out on a path of destruction.”
While this sounds like a suitable idea for a movie based in the blocky world of Minecraft, there is no word on whether the story has evolved under Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Allison Schroeder. Will we see a young girl team up with Steve, Gabriel the Warrior, and other well-known Minecraft characters to save the overworld from the Ender Dragon? Or, will we see a Piglin invasion, much like Minecraft Legends (review), and the protagonist is tasked to save the world?
Whatever the plotline, we can’t wait to see how Warner Bros brings certain Minecraft biomes and mobs to life in a live-action movie. It will be quite interesting to see the Nether, possibly the new Cherry Blossom biome from Minecraft 1.20, and the cute Axolotls on the big screen. Share our thoughts and expectations from the story in the comments below.
Minecraft Movie: Cast & Characters
Much like the release date, there have been several rumored cast and crew changes during the production of the Minecraft movie. The film is now in the pre-production phase, and we now have a list of potential cast members and the characters they will play in the movie.
In April 2022, it was announced that GOT-famed star “Jason Momoa” will be part of the Minecraft Movie. Momoa is well-known for his role in DCU’s Aquaman and as the latest antagonist in the Fast X movie. Currently, there’s no official information on what role Momoa will play in the movie, but there’s much speculation around it.
Many assume that he will fill in the shoes of the iconic Minecraft character, Steve. He is one of the most iconic characters and the standard default skin in Minecraft. Although, some reports speculate that Momoa could play Gabriel the Warrior from the adventure video game Minecraft: Story Mode.
Momoa is not the big-time name that has been tied with this upcoming movie, though. The IMDb listing for the Minecraft movie has been updated recently, and it now lists that Pedro Pascal will play the role of Steve in the Minecraft movie. According to a source close to Pascal, the actor was initially reluctant to join this super-delayed movie but got on board after reading the script.
Pedro Pascal, for the unaware, gained immense praise for his role as Joel Miller in the Last of Us TV adaptation. We suggest you take this rumor with a grain of salt, though, and it’s advisable to wait for an official word.
Moreover, the What We Did in the Shadows star Matt Berry is reportedly in talks to join the film as well. However, we are yet to receive an official confirmation for the castings. So, bookmark this page and stay tuned, because we will update this post regularly to add all the new leaks and rumors around the Minecraft movie.
To wrap up the cast section, let’s take a trip back in time. If you’ve had your ear on the ground, you would know that the first actor chosen to star in the Minecraft movie was Steve Carell (via Variety) back in November 2016. Carell is well-known for his roles in The Office, Crazy Stupid Love, The Big Short, and several other films. But, he left soon afterward due to scheduling conflicts.
Minecraft Movie: Production Crew
Over the last decade, there have been several shake-ups in the production team of the movie as well. When announced initially in 2014, the movie was supposed to be written by Kieran and Michele Mulroney and directed by Shawn Levy. However, all three of them left the project shortly afterward due to creative differences. Levy and the Mulroney’s had a different vision for the Minecraft movie as opposed to Mojang Studios.
In 2015, Mojang itself announced that Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is the new director of the Minecraft movie. And reports further added to the news, saying that McElhenney will be working alongside screenwriter Jason Fuchs to bring the blocky world to the big screen.
And once again, a switch in the Warner Bros leadership led to creative differences, thus, leading to McElhenney parting ways with the studio. The project came to a standstill again, even though the film was close to going through, as McElhenney revealed in Josh Horowitz’s podcast.
In 2018, Warner Bros and Mojang brought on the Nee brothers, Aaron and Adam Nee, to rewrite the script. Later in January 2019, a report revealed that Peter Scollett would be the new director of the Minecraft movie. Scollett imagined bringing to life the original plotline revealed by Mojang in its blog post.
However, we weren’t done with the streak of changes to the creative team yet. There was another change to the writing team in June 2019, with Allison Schroeder replacing the Nee Brothers (via Hollywood Reporter) to further update the script. NOT done yet, either!
In April 2022, Peter Scollett moved on from the project, and it was reported that Jared Hess would be the new director. He also brought on writers Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer (who worked with Hess on 2016 crime comedy movie Masterminds) to write the latest script alongside Schroeder.
Minecraft Movie: Are There Any Official Trailers?
At the time of writing this article, there are no official trailers for the Minecraft Movie. Neither Mojang nor Warner Bros has released any teasers or trailers for the upcoming live-action movie. We will keep you updated, so bookmark this page and check back in frequently!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the Minecraft movie will be a live-action movie, but there will be CGI involved.
