Summary
Extensive experience in voice acting and comedy can go a long way, and for Jack Black, the upcomingMinecraftmovie is just another billing to accentuate his skills. Taking the helm as the default player character Steve in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s live-action take on the beloved video game, Black will embark on a new adventure just as players do.
Minecraft’sMojang Studios released the first java edition of the blocky, three-dimensional sandbox game in 2009 and was met with longstanding critical acclaim, allowing players to choose between survival or creative modes. News of a film adaptation of the game was first announced in 2014, and after numerous delays and various release dates due to creative changes, the newest release date has been settled on Jul 02, 2025. Best known forNapoleon Dynamite(2004), Jared Hess has been narrowed down for director, reuniting with Black after their filmNacho Libre(2006).Alison Schroeder, Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, and Peter Sollettwill lead the writing team for the action adventure.
Black took to Instagramto share a photo of him readingMinecraft Basics for Dummies,fitted with the caption “An actor prepares,” announcing his upcoming role. He’s no stranger to the role of Steve, considering he narrated Max Brooks' 2017Minecraft: The Islandaudiobook. The actor is coming off his success from another video game adaptation,The Super Mario Bros. Movie(2023) as Bowser, which grossed $1.36 billion, andKung Fu Panda 4is also on the horizon, set for a March 2024 release. He’s expected to also be portraying Claptrap inBorderlands, yet another film based on a game series, releasing in August 2024. Black will bejoining Jason Momoa’s leadinMinecraft, along with Danielle Brooks as a character named Dawn, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen as someone named Henry.
According to the IMDB description, the video game-turned-movie will follow a young girl and her group of fellow adventurers setting out on a path to save the Overworld from the destructive Ender Dragon. However, official plot details are still under wraps, andwith many development hiccups, one can only form their own thoughts about what the story will be. Despite the unknown, the star-studded cast, particularly Black’s ability to animate himself literally and figuratively in his roles, will no doubt help “craft” the game into a newfound medium for new and returning audiences eager to see what the fuss is about.
The year 2023 has brought major success for video game adaptations in both TV and film, from the aforementionedSuper Mario Bros.toThe Last of Usand the marketable genius ofFive Nights at Freddy’s. While some may believe theMinecraftfilm will be better suited for animation, the development and casting announcements have surely piqued interest in the public. It certainly helps that the game, which has sold over 300 million copies,leaves much to its 140 million monthly playersto lead their own adventures in a vast open world full of mystery. There may be aMinecraft: Story Modethat was released in collaboration with Telltale Games, but for the majority of players, it’s a DIY kind of game focused on building and survival.
After the WGA and SGA strikes brought more delays to production, which was set to begin filming on June 19, 2025, filming is now expected to start some time in January, located in New Zealand.
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.
