Plans for aMinecraft film adaptation originated in 2014, when game creatorMarkus Persson revealed that Mojang Studios was in talks withWarner Bros. Pictures to develop the project. Throughout its development, the film shifted between several directors, producers, and story drafts. By 2022,Legendary Entertainment became involved, and Hess was hired as director with Momoa 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 April 2024.Mark Mothersbaugh composed the score, andSony Pictures Imageworks,Wētā FX, andDigital Domain provided the film's visual effects.
A Minecraft Movie had its premiere at theEmpire, Leicester Square in London on March 30, 2025, and was released in the United States and Sweden on April 4. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and was a box-office success, grossing $961 million against a budget of $150 million, becoming thefifth-highest-grossing film of 2025 and thesecond-highest-grossing video game film of all time. A sequel is scheduled for release on July 23, 2027.
Plot
Struggling doorknob salesmanSteve breaks into a mine to fulfill a childhood dream, where he discovers theOrb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. When combined, they create a portal that transports him to theOverworld, a world where the terrain is made of easily manipulated cubes. He builds his own paradise and later stumbles across a portal to a hellish world called theNether. He is imprisoned by Malgosha, the gold-obsessedpiglin ruler of the Nether who gravely discourages creativity. Because the Orb would allow her to control the Overworld, Steve has his dog Dennis escape with the Orb and Crystal and hide them under his bed in the real world.
Sometime later, 1980s video game champion Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison owns a failing video game store in Chuglass,Idaho. He heads to astorage auction to acquire items to sell for cash, ultimately winning the contents of Steve's old house. While searching through the items, particularly hoping to find anAtari Cosmos, he instead finds Steve's old belongings including the Orb and Crystal.
Siblings Henry and Natalie move to Chuglass following their mother's death. The two meet Dawn, their real estate agent who also runs a mobilepetting zoo. On Henry's first day of school, he gets in trouble when his experimentaljetpack is sabotaged and damages thepotato chip factory's mascot Chuggy. To avoid expulsion from Vice Principal Marlene, he pays Garrett to play his uncle and takes him to the video game store. There, Henry discovers the Orb and Crystal and combines them, leading the two to Steve's mine.
Natalie finds Henry missing and calls Dawn who tracks down Henry's location via Natalie's phone. As the four reunite, they are sucked into the portal and arrive in the Overworld. Malgosha learns that the Orb has returned and releases Steve from his imprisonment in the Nether to reclaim it, saying that she has Dennis as a hostage.
While fighting off monsters at night, Henry learns to manipulate blocks and builds a wooden fortress. The Earth Crystal is destroyed in the commotion. Steve appears at dawn and defeats the monsters as he tells the group that a replacement Crystal will be needed from the Woodland Mansion and joins them. To prepare for this quest, he leads them to a nearby village and demonstrates how to craft. Piglins seeking the Orb of Dominance launch an attack on the village. Steve, Garrett, and Henry narrowly escape while Natalie and Dawn are separated from them and befriend Dennis. Malgosha responds by sending out the Great Hog, a massive Piglin.
When Steve mentions that he has a hoard of diamonds, Garrett becomes interested and demands access as an added condition to handing over the Orb. They make a detour and find the hoard, but Henry is angered by their disregard for Natalie's safety. When the Great Hog arrives, they escape usingminecarts and the Hog is blown up bycreepers. Arriving at the mansion, Steve and Garrett attempt to distract the guards while Henry acquires both the Earth Crystal and an Ender Pearl which can facilitate one'steleportation. Malgosha returns and destroys the bridge to the mansion. Steve and Henry lose the Orb to her, but escape as Garrett seemingly sacrifices himself in the blast. The two awaken with Dawn, Natalie, and Dennis in a mushroom house.
Malgosha uses the Orb to superpower the Nether portal, blotting out the sun and declaring war on the Overworld. The party crafts an arsenal of weaponry and an army of irongolems to fight the piglin invasion, while Steve fights Malgosha. Henry uses the Ender Pearl to obtain the Orb, restoring the sunlight and causing Malgosha and her army to zombify.
The party, including Garrett who survived the explosion, returns to Chuglass, where they develop the successful video gameBlock City Battle Buddies. Dawn opens her zoo with Dennis as an attraction, Natalie opens a dojo, Henry completes his jetpack, and Garrett revitalizes the game store with Steve.
Jason Momoa as Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison, a struggling video game store owner and former game champion
Moana Williams as young Garrett Garrison
Jack Black asSteve, a former doorknob salesman who has spent years living in the Overworld
Bram-Scott Breheny as young Steve
Emma Myers as Natalie, a caring girl in her early 20s who becomes her brother's legal guardian following their mother's death
Danielle Brooks as Dawn, a real estate agent who runs a mobile petting zoo
Sebastian Hansen as Henry, a creative boy and younger brother of Natalie
Benjamin Carter serves as Henry's photo double
Jennifer Coolidge as Marlene, the vice principal of Chuglass High School who has a history of accidentally driving her 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee into others
Rachel House as the voice of Malgosha, the piglin ruler of the Nether
Allan Henry serves as the motion-capture performer of Malgosha.
Daryl, an auctioneer who runs Steve's storage auction
The voice of Bruce, a piglin who taunts Malgosha in a flashback
Jared Hess as the voice of General Chungus, a high-ranking piglin in Malgosha's army
Matt Berry as the voice of Nitwit, a villager who ends up transported to Earth and becomes Marlene's eventual romantic partner[8]
Bret McKenzie serves as the motion-capture performer of Nitwit
Hiram Garcia as Mr. Gunchie, an art teacher/gym teacher at Chuglass High School who is revealed to be one of Marlene's ex-husbands in amid-credits scene
Tommy Broadmore as Trevor, a student who bullies Henry and sabotages his jetpack prototype
Frankie Creagh-Leslie as the unnamed friend of Trevor
Amanda Billing portrays Natalie and Henry's mother in a photograph.Mark Wright portrays an HR person at Chuglass High School. YouTubersDanTDM,Aphmau, Mumbo Jumbo, and LDShadowLady make cameos as auction attendees.[9]Jens Bergensten, who is one of the lead designers forMinecraft, makes a cameo appearance as a waiter who tends to Marlene and Nitwit.[10] A pig wearing a crown appears as a tribute to YouTuberTechnoblade, who died in 2022.[11]Kate McKinnon makes an uncredited vocal cameo in apost-credits scene asAlex, a woman living in Steve's house, with Alice May Connolly physically portraying Alex.[8]
Production
Background
In 2022,Jared Hess came on board to direct the film, which had been in development since 2014.
Following a series of offers from Hollywood producers to create aMinecraft-related television series[12] and acrowdfunding campaign for afan film that was shut down byMinecraft creatorMarkus "Notch" Persson,[13][14] Persson revealed thatMojang Studios was in talks withWarner Bros. Pictures to develop an officialMinecraft film in February 2014.[15][16] Later in October, Mojang CCO Vu Bui stated that the movie was early in development, and would be a "large-budget" production. He also said that the film might not be released until at least 2018.[17][18] Originally,Roy Lee andJill Messick were set to produce the project.[15][16] That same month, Warner Bros. hiredShawn Levy to direct the film,[19] though he and writersKieran and Michele Mulroney, who were developing the film together, left the project by December.[20]
By July 2015, Warner Bros. hiredRob McElhenney to direct the film. He said that 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.[21][22] Early production started in 2016, and an initial release date was announced for May 24, 2019.[23]Jason Fuchs was set to write the script of the film,[24] andSteve Carell was going to star as the voice of an unknown character.[25] However, by late 2016, McElhenney'sMinecraft film "slowly died on the vine", after studio executive Greg Silverman's departure from Warner Brothers in late 2016.[26][27]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.[28] By January 2019,Peter Sollett was announced to write and direct the film, which would feature an entirely different story from McElhenney's version. Messick, who died in 2018, was posthumously credited as producer.[29] The original vision Sollet had for the film involved "a teenage girl and her unlikely group of adventurers" as they set out on a quest to defeat the Ender Dragon, the final boss of the originalMinecraft game.[30] The film was later given a new release date of March 4, 2022.[31][32] In June 2019,Allison Schroeder was hired to write the script and co-write the story with Sollett.[33] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Warner Bros. was forced to adjust its release schedule, which included removing theMinecraft film from its planned release date.[34]
In April 2022, production on theMinecraft film was announced to be moving forward without Sollett and Schroeder, withJared Hess now set to direct,Legendary Entertainment to co-produce (through its executiveMary Parent), andJason Momoa in early talks to star. The film was also confirmed to be live action.[35] It was also reported that Chris Bowman andHubbel Palmer, who collaborated with Hess onMasterminds (2016), would rewrite the script.[36][37] ProducerRoy Lee credited new leadership at Warner Brothers for pushing the film into production after so many years saying: "Toby Emmerich shut it down when he first started, and if he had never run Warner Bros., it would’ve been made years earlier. It was only after Pam [Abdy] and Mike [De Luca] started that they reignited the project and it got made."[38]
While adaptingMinecraft into a film, the production crew aimed to make sure that the objects present in the film were faithful to the game, made up only of cubes. This included everything from trees to fruit.[41]: 2:00–2:29 Several YouTubers and members of theMinecraft community were present during the production of the film, with YouTuber Mumbo Jumbo contributing towards designing some of the props.[41]: 2:00–2:29 When writing and directing the film, the team opted to make a story based onMinecraft, rather than making an official canon story, which they viewed as in-line withMinecraft's nature as a sandbox game that lets players create their own stories. As such, the film was titledA Minecraft Movie, rather thanThe Minecraft Movie. This concept is also applied to the film's depiction of one ofMinecraft's characters,Steve, which the production crew described Jack Black's version as one of many Steves not meant to represent the "Steve" present inMinecraft.[42]
James Thomas served as the film's editor.[43] WhileA Minecraft Movie is predominantly a live action film, it uses a heavy amount ofCGI to simulate the terrain, animals,[44][45] monsters,[46] and other objects.[44][45]Green-screens and in-studio lighting were also used extensively.[47]3D models were imported intoUnreal Engine to create virtual environments of various sets, which were used throughout the production of the film.[48]Visual effects for the film were provided bySony Pictures Imageworks,Wētā FX, andDigital Domain, withDan Lemmon serving as visual effects supervisor.[49][50]
Casting
Around the same time that Hess was announced to direct the film, it was also stated that Momoa would star in the film.[35] In May 2023,Matt Berry entered negotiations to join the cast,[51] whileDanielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen joined the cast in November,[52] andEmma Myers joined the cast in December.[53] In January 2024, Black joined the cast, teasing his casting in the film via his officialInstagram account.[54][55] Originally, Berry was supposed to play Steve while Black was set to only appear as a cameo in the form of a talking pig, but due to the2023 Hollywood labor disputes, Berry had to vacate the role, with Black taking over the role of Steve.[56] According to producer Torfi Frans Olafsson, Black's depiction of Steve was "specific to him".[57] At the same time as Black's casting,Jennifer Coolidge,Kate McKinnon, andJemaine Clement were also cast in then-undisclosed roles.[58][59] YouTuberValkyrae was originally set to appear in the film, but was removed after she openly accused Momoa of mistreating the cast and production crew.[60][61]
Mark Mothersbaugh composed the originalscore, while Gabe Hilfer andKaryn Rachtman serve asmusic supervisors.[67] Mothersbaugh incorporated "nods" tothe music of the game byC418, and said that the score was meant to balance the "charm" of the characters with the action, while retaining a "depth and emotional resonance".[68] From theMinecraft soundtrack, C418's title track plays during theopening credits, and his song "Dragon Fish" plays during a scene withpandas;Lena Raine's track "Pigstep" features during the "Nether's Got Talent" sequence.[69]
Another song in the film, "Steve's Lava Chicken", went viral online after the film's release and charted in several territories. The song became the shortest song to reach the Top 40 of theUK singles chart,[75] and theBillboard Hot 100 in the United States.[76]
Marketing
The film's firstteaser trailer, set tothe Beatles's "Magical Mystery Tour", was released on September 4, 2024. Audience reactions to the teaser were noted as "divided"[77][78] or "generally negative", with criticism for theCGI, design, andlive-action nature of the film.[44][45][79] Andrew Webster ofThe Verge said that besides its "unsettling imagery", it "looks like some silly family fun".[80] Tom Power ofTechRadar could not decide whether it was "drop-dead gorgeous or the stuff of nightmares".[81]Markus Persson, the creator ofMinecraft, praised the trailer on Twitter, saying "Ok i'm in Wow this is a weird feeling."[82] Various clips and images from the trailer, such as the designs of a bleating pink sheep and a white llama, and Jack Black saying "I... am Steve", were ridiculed by online commenters.[78]
A second trailer, set toMGMT's "Time to Pretend", was released on November 19, to a more positive response from many viewers.[83][84] A final trailer for the film was released on February 27,[85] and a final teaser for the film was released on March 27.[86] A few days before the film's release, aworkprint version featuring incomplete visual effects and CGI, missing credits, and significantchroma key masking errors was leaked onto various piracy websites and spread on social media platforms such as Twitter.[87][88][89]
Release
Theatrical
A Minecraft Movie had its official premiere at theLeicester Square inLondon,England, on March 30, 2025,[90] and was released theatrically inIMAX in the United States and Sweden byWarner Bros. Pictures on April 4.[c] The release of the film coincided with Mojang's collaboration with various brands to create promotional products for the film, including action figures of the characters, "creeper green"vanilla milk fromTruMoo, Wallpaper Themes forSamsung Galaxy S25, Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV, and Samsung Family Hub SpaceMax Smart Fridge Freezer offered bySamsung[94], and specialHappy Meals offered byMcDonald's.[95] The unusual nature of these products, such as the "uncanny" appearance of the Jack Black action figure, garnered both attention and some criticism,[96][97][98] though the "Nether Flame Sauce"hotdipping sauce from the McDonald's promotion was lauded for its spice and suitability withChicken McNuggets.[99][100]
A Minecraft Movie grossed $424.1million in the United States and Canada and $537.1million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $961.2 million.[6][7]
In the United States and Canada,A Minecraft Movie was released alongsideHell of a Summer, and was initially projected to gross $65–70 million from 4,263 theaters in its opening weekend, with some estimates going as high as $80 million.[102][103] It made an estimated $10.6 million from Thursday night previews, toppingFive Nights at Freddy's' $10.3 million for best total by a video game adaptation, and increasing weekend projections to $80–100 million.[104] After making $58 million on its first day (including previews), estimates were again revised to $135–150 million.[105] It ended up debuting with $162.8 million domestically[106] and $313 million globally on its opening weekend,[107] surpassingThe Super Mario Bros. Movie domestically, which also featured Black, as the highest-grossing opening weekend for a movie based on a video game.[108][109]
In its second weekend,A Minecraft Movie grossed $78.5 million.[111] Within its first seven days of release, it became the first film of 2025 to reach the $200 million mark domestically, replacingCaptain America: Brave New World as the market's highest-grossing film of the year.[112] It also became the second-highest-grossing movie based on a video game, surpassingSonic the Hedgehog 3.[113] In its third weekend,A Minecraft Movie, grossing $40.5 million, would drop to second place after Warner Bros.' new releaseSinners grossed $48 million, in what was considered to be an upset; it was the first time one studio had two films gross more than $40 million over the same weekend since 2009.[114]
Critical response
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 48% of 190 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Ostensibly a film about celebrating creativity,A Minecraft Movie provides a colorful sandbox for Jack Black and Jason Momoa to amusingly romp around in a story curiously constructed from conventional building blocks."[115]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[116] Audience reactions to the film were more positive in comparison to critics;[117][118] filmgoers polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while 67% of those surveyed byPostTrak said they would definitely recommend the film. Kids under the age of 12 gave the film an average rating of five out of five stars, while parents gave an average of four and a half out of five stars.[105]
Critics were divided on the film's plot and whether or notA Minecraft Movie was a faithful adaptation of the game, as well as if it made sense to viewers unfamiliar with it. Lovia Gyarkye ofThe Hollywood Reporter and Jesse Hassenger ofIGN both believed that the film's plot was confusing. Gyarkye felt that it struggled to maintain a balance between appeasing theMinecraft fandom and writing a film that made sense to a general audience, and Hassenger said that the film was "conceptually muddy" and "confusingly and erratically presented".[1][70] Mark Kennedy of theAssociated Press believed that the film would likely make no sense to a viewer unfamiliar with the source material, but still believed that it was a faithful adaptation. However, he did highlight the film's featuring of concepts not present within the game itself to enable plot progression.[119] Contrarily, Liz Shannon Miller ofConsequence believed that the plot was fully comprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the game.[120] Stephen Thompson ofNPR stated that "turningMinecraft into a movie presents a challenge, because the film has a lot of character development to catch up on. But, asThe Lego Movie andBarbie have demonstrated, it's possible to get it spectacularly right".[121] Some reviewers viewed the fan service present within the film positively,[122][123][124] particularly highlighting the tribute toTechnoblade.[122][123]
The performances of the cast, particularly Black and Momoa, were praised, with many critics viewing them as helping alleviate or distract from problems present within the film's plot.[70][1][120] Miller and Jordan Hoffman ofEntertainment Weekly both felt that the story was not the main priority of the film and could be ignored in favor of the performance of the actors, the former believing that the film was mainly made with the intent of having fun.[120][125] However, some viewed that the characters, despite the performances of their actors, were generally underdeveloped.[120][1] The sub-plot involving Coolidge's character dating a villager, while viewed as generally unnecessary or relatively thin in terms of character development, was subject to some praise as well.[120][1][70]
Some reviewers questioned the purpose or value of the film, with some viewing it as nothing more than a product with the intent of promotingMinecraft. BothKevin Maher ofThe Times and David Fear ofRolling Stone likened the film to a corporate cash-grab, viewing it as existing with the sole purpose of promoting theMinecraft brand and offering nothing else of value.[74][126] Maher further viewed the film as lacking a level of versatility present in other video game adaptations, while Fear believed that the film was intentionally confusing so that it would stay in the minds of people longer, and therefore encourage them to purchase merchandise.[74] While Clarisse Loughrey ofThe Independent believed that the idea behind a live-actionMinecraft adaptation was fundamentally flawed and destroyed the spirit of the source material, she felt that the film had "genuine intent" and was not like other adaptations that she viewed as existing solely for the sake of profit.[127]
"Chicken jockey" trend
It has been suggested that this section besplit out into another article titledChicken jockey. (Discuss)(February 2026)
A poster outside aCineplex screening ofA Minecraft Movie in April 2025 warning theatergoers that disruptive behavior will result in expulsion, as a result of the "chicken jockey" trend
The film has sparked boisterous reactions and disorderly conduct from viewers, particularlyGeneration Z American and British adolescent boys, with some partaking in a viralInternet phenomenon onTikTok, alongside other social media platforms. Participants would often react enthusiastically to moments in the film that have been the subject ofInternet memes, such as spontaneously erupting into loud cheers, jumping in excitement, dancing, or throwing popcorn when Steve exclaims "Chicken jockey!"[128][129][130] Other viral lines include "Flint and steel!" and "I… amSteve", though neither approached the frenzy surrounding "Chicken jockey!"[131][132] In one screening,viral videos emerged documenting audience members hoisting a live chicken after the quote and promptly ejected from the theater atProvo Towne Centre inProvo, Utah;[133][134] another involved a group setting offfire extinguishers andsmoke bombs, suffocating fellow theatergoers;[135][136][137] while another led to a violent altercation in the parking lot outside the theater after adults asked four teenagers to quiet down.[138][139] The trend has also spread to other Gen Z teenage boys fromAustralia andSouth Africa.[140][141]
Reactions to the phenomenon have been mixed. Some audience members frowned upon the misconduct as "annoying and disruptive",[142][132] while several theater chains posted warnings against unruly behavior.[130][143] Police have also reportedly been called to restore order and eject offenders,[144][145] including an instance where an employee was physically harmed, although no charges were filed.[146][147] Hess defended some of these antics as harmless and amusing,[148] further explaining that he and Black had conceived the scene because they "thought it would be funny if Steve announced everything that happens to him, stating the obvious with extreme intensity".[131] Black made a surprise appearance at a screening and warned fans not to throw popcorn.[149] Writing forThe Observer, Kate Maltby opined that audiences had crossed the line, pointing to the mess left for janitors to clean up.[150]
Many observers noted that the trend was evolving into a distinct cultural phenomenon, particularly emphasizing the immersive and communal nature of the theater experience. Research psychologist Rachel Kowert commented, "While being quiet is generally the norm in traditional theater settings, it's important to recognize that different fan cultures come with their own expectations for how to engage." She added, "In this case, the energy surrounding the Minecraft movie reflects a deeply engaged fandom—one that is enthusiastic about sharing the experience in a communal setting."[151] Others argued that the trend reflected youth culture rather than incivility, akin to concerts or sporting events.[152][153] Warner Bros. released a special "Block Party Edition" of the film on May 2, 2025, in which fans were encouraged to "sing-along and meme-along" viral moments in the film;[154][155][156] in the United Kingdom, the cinema chainCineworld hosted a similar event dubbed "Chicken jockey screenings" in which fans were encouraged tocosplay and make noises,[157][158] a move praised for its ingenuity byVulture'sNicholas Quah.[159]
Talks for a potential sequel to the film began a few days after the film's release.[170] Hess has expressed interest in making a sequel, noting the world's use of infinitemods, characters, and biomes, outlining howMinecraft is virtually endless.[171] He later stated that there were many ideas they had for the film that they were unable to use, but would likely be included as part of a sequel.[170] On April 11, 2025, it was reported that a sequel is in early development.[172] At the end of a behind the scenes interview, the VFX supervisor Sheldon Stopsack and the animation supervisor Kevin Estey both refer to the film's sequel asAnother Minecraft Movie.[173] On October 9, a sequel was announced with a release date of July 23, 2027, with Hess returning to direct and Galletta returning to co-write the screenplay.[174][175] Legendary Pictures will return to produce and provide funding.[176]
^Bell, Laura; Finlayson, Talia (May 19, 2025)."We built A Minecraft Movie's iconic worlds using Unreal Engine – and here's how".Creative Bloq.Archived from the original on May 19, 2025.[W]e used the game as inspiration for environments created in Unreal Engine [...] which were used from pre-production through to principal photography, all the way to the final stages of post-production.
^Frei, Vincent (May 12, 2025)."A Minecraft Movie: Sheldon Stopsack (VFX Supervisor) & Kevin Estey (Animation Supervisor) – Weta FX".The Art of VFX.Archived from the original on May 14, 2025.SS – Unfortunately I am unable to disclose that information .. but I hope that there might be "Another Minecraft Movie" somewhere down the line and we can all do this again. KE – Currently that's something that I can't disclose, but I CAN disclose that I'm ready for Another Minecraft Movie if we can be so fortunate to enjoy another journey into the weird and wonderful world.
_Jack_Black.jpg)
.jpg)
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
