A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie is a 2025 American fantasy adventure comedy film based on the 2011 video game Minecraft by Mojang Studios. It was directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta, from a story by Allison Schroeder, Bowman, and Palmer. The film stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen. In the film, four misfits are pulled through a portal into a cubic world that thrives on imagination, having no choice but to master the world while embarking on a quest with an expert crafter named Steve.
Plans for a Minecraft film adaptation originated in 2014, when game creator Markus Persson revealed that Mojang was in talks with Warner Bros. Pictures to develop the project. Throughout its development, A Minecraft Movie 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, and Sony Pictures Imageworks, Wētā FX, and Digital Domain provided the films visual effects.
A Minecraft Movie had its world premiere at Empire, Leicester Square in London on March 30, 2025, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 4. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who generally praised the performances of the cast, though some were divided on its plot and faithfulness to the source material. It has grossed $301 million worldwide against a budget of $150 million, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2025.
Steve breaks into a mine to fulfill a childhood dream when he discovers the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. When combined, they create a portal that transports him to the Overworld, an alternate dimension where terrain is made of easily manipulated cubes. He builds his own paradise and later stumbles across a portal to a hellish world called the Nether. Malgosha, the piglin ruler of the Nether who hates creativity, imprisons him. Because the Orb would allow her forces to control the Overworld, Steve has his dog, Dennis, hide it and the Crystal under his bed in the real world.
Some time later, 1980s video game champion Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison owns a failing video game store in Chuglass, Idaho. He heads to a storage 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 a valuable Atari Cosmos, he finds the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal.
Siblings Henry and Natalie move to Chuglass following their mother's death. The two meet Dawn, their real estate agent who wants to open a petting zoo. On Henry's first day of school, he gets in trouble when his makeshift jetpack malfunctions and destroys a mascot statue. To avoid trouble, he pretends that Garrett is his uncle, who takes him to the video game store to discuss his options. Henry combines the Orb and Crystal, leading the two to the mine. Natalie is worried and calls Dawn, who accesses Henry's location with Natalie's phone. All four of them ultimately enter the portal and arrive in the Overworld. Malgosha is alerted that the Orb has returned – she releases Steve from his prison in the Nether to reclaim it, bluffing that she holds his dog hostage.
While fighting off monsters at night, Henry learns how to build and makes a wooden fortress. While trying to head inside, Garrett accidentally breaks the Earth Crystal. Steve appears as sunrise approaches to save everyone and tells them they have to go to the Woodland Mansion for a replacement Crystal. He follows them to a nearby village and shows them how to craft. However, piglins launch a raid on the village. Steve, Garrett, and Henry narrowly escape, but Natalie and Dawn are separated and discover Dennis. Malgosha retaliates by sending out the Great Hog.
When Steve mentions that he has a large hoard of diamonds, Garrett becomes interested and demands access as a condition of handing over the Orb. They find the hoard, but Henry is angered by the detour and worries about Natalie's safety. When the Great Hog arrives, they flee using minecarts, and the Hog is blown up by creepers. Arriving at the mansion, Steve and Garrett attempt to distract the inhabitant pillagers while Henry acquires both the Earth Crystal and an Ender Pearl, which can facilitate one teleport. Malgosha returns with a new Great Hog and blows up the bridge to the Mansion. Steve and Henry lose the Orb but escape as Garrett sacrifices himself in the blast. The two awaken with Dawn, Natalie, and Dennis in a mushroom house they built.
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 weapons and an army of iron golems that meet the invasion force. Henry throws the Ender Pearl to teleport to the Crystal. Seizing it restores the sunlight, killing Malgosha and the piglins, but leaves Henry in freefall. He is rescued by Garrett, who had previously survived by riding a flying ghast.
The party returns to Chuglass, where they create the successful video game Block City Battle Buddies. Dawn opens her zoo with Dennis as an attraction, Natalie begins teaching self-defense classes, Henry completes his jetpack, and Steve and Garrett operate the game store. In a post-credits scene, Steve returns to his old house in the real world to reclaim any possessions he left in the attic. He meets the new resident, a woman named Alex.
YouTubers DanTDM, Aphmau, Mumbo Jumbo, and LDShadowLady also make uncredited cameos as themselves in the film. Jens Bergensten, who serves as one of the lead designers for Minecraft, makes a cameo appearance as a waiter. A pig wearing a crown appears in the film as a tribute to the late YouTuber Technoblade.
Following a series of offers from Hollywood producers to create a Minecraft-related television series and a crowdfunding campaign for a fan film that was shut down by Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson, Persson revealed that Mojang Studios was in talks with Warner Bros. Pictures to develop an official Minecraft film in February 2014. 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. Originally, Roy Lee and Jill Messick were set to produce the project. That same month, Warner Bros. hired Shawn Levy to direct the film, though he and writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney, who were developing the film together, left the project by December.
By July 2015, Warner Bros. hired Rob 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. Early production started in 2016, and an initial release date was announced for May 24, 2019. Jason Fuchs was set to write the script of the film, and Steve Carell was going to star as the voice of an unknown character. However, by late 2016, McElhenney's Minecraft film "slowly died on the vine", after studio executive Greg Silverman's departed from Warner Brothers in late 2016. 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. 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. The original vision Sollet had for the film involved a "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 original Minecraft game. The film was later given a new release date of March 4, 2022. In June 2019, Allison Schroeder was hired to write the script and co-write the story with Sollett. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Warner Bros. was forced to adjust its release schedule, which included removing the Minecraft film from its planned release date.
In April 2022, production on the Minecraft film was announced to be moving forward without Sollett and Schroeder, with Jared Hess now set to direct, Legendary Entertainment to co-produce (through its executive Mary Parent), and Jason Momoa in early talks to star. The film was also confirmed to be live action. It was also reported that Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer, who collaborated with Hess on Masterminds (2016), would rewrite the script. Hess' involvement in the film began after a separate project he was developing with Legendary never materialized, and he was involved by the studio to pitch a take for the Minecraft adaptation. He later stated that he enjoyed trying to "adapt something that doesn't have a story — it's an open sandbox game", and hoped to find an opportunity for a "fun, ridiculous movie". The film's final writing credits went to Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta, who wrote the film from a story by Allison Schroeder, Bowman, and Palmer. Off-screen Additional Literary Material credit was given to Hess, McElhenney, Fuchs, Megan Amram, Kevin Biegel, John Francis Daley, Dana Fox, Hannah Friedman, Jonathan Goldstein, Phil Augusta Jackson, Lauryn Kahn, Kieran Mulroney, Michele Mulroney, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, Zak Penn, Simon Rich, Peter Sollett, Laura Steinel, Jon Spaihts, Oren Uziel, and Ben Wexler.
Around the same time that Hess was announced to direct the film, it was also stated that Momoa would star in the film. In May 2023, Matt Berry entered negotiations to join the cast, while Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen joined the cast in November, and Emma Myers joined the cast in December. In January 2024, Jack Black joined the cast, teasing his casting in the film via his official Instagram account. Originally, Black was set to only appear as a cameo in the form of a talking pig, before he was cast as Steve. At the same time as Black's casting, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, and Jemaine Clement were also cast in at the time undisclosed roles.
On June 19, 2023, it was reported that principal photography on the film would start on August 7 in New Zealand, before filming was delayed in July by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Following the conclusion of the strike in early November 2023, filming was reported to be aiming for an early 2024 start. With the announcement of Brooks and Hansen as part of the cast, filming was scheduled to begin in late December 2023. Filming had begun by mid-January 2024 in Auckland and ended in mid-April, with Grant Major serving as the production designer, and Enrique Chediak serving as the cinematographer.
Visual effects for the film are provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Wētā FX, and Digital Domain, with Dan Lemmon serving as visual effects supervisor. James Thomas serves as the film's editor.
Mark Mothersbaugh composed the original score, while Gabe Hilfer and Karyn Rachtman serve as music supervisors. Mothersbaugh incorporated "nods" to the music of the game by C418, and said that the score was meant to balance the "charm" of the characters with the action, while retaining a "depth and emotional resonance". The film includes several original songs performed by Black, including "I Feel Alive". It was written by Black, and features Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums, Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, Jellyfish keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr., and Mark Ronson on both rhythm guitar and bass. Brooks also provides backup vocals. The song was released as a single prior to the release of the film on March 20, 2025. Mothersbaugh's score, along with original songs by Benee, Dayglow, and Dirty Honey, was released digitally on March 28. The film also features "Pigstep", a track made by Lena Raine for the Minecraft soundtrack, and an instrumental rendition of Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" performed by Jamieson Shaw.
The film's first teaser trailer, set to The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour", was released on September 4, 2024. Audience reactions to the teaser were noted as "divisive" or "generally negative", with criticism for the CGI, design, and live-action nature of the film. Andrew Webster of The Verge said that besides its "unsettling imagery", it "looks like some silly family fun". Tom Power of TechRadar could not decide whether it was "drop-dead gorgeous or the stuff of nightmares". Markus Persson, the creator of Minecraft, praised the trailer on Twitter, saying "Ok i'm in[.] Wow this is a weird feeling." 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. A second trailer, set to MGMT's "Time to Pretend", was released on November 19, to a more positive response from many viewers. A final trailer for the film was released on February 27, and a final teaser for the film was released on March 27, set to the tune of a cover of "Heart and Soul" by Hoagy Carmichael. The teaser features Jennifer Coolidge on a date with a villager.
A Minecraft Movie had its official premiere at the Leicester Square in London, United Kingdom, on March 30, 2025, and was released theatrically in IMAX in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on April 4. A few days before the release of the film in theaters, a workprint version featuring incomplete visual effects and CGI, missing credits, and significant chroma key masking errors was leaked onto various piracy websites and began being shared freely on social media platforms like Twitter.
The release of the movie coincided with Mojang's collaboration with various brands to create promotional products. Among these items were green milk, action figures, and special Happy Meals offered by McDonald's. The green Minecraft milk received a largely negative reception from consumers, with many individuals expressing their disapproval by stating that "anything with the color green should not be made." Additionally, online commentators critiqued the absurdity of several other promotional products.
In the United States and Canada, A Minecraft Movie was released alongside Hell of a Summer, and was initially projected to gross $65–70 million from 3,400 theaters in its opening weekend, with some estimates going as high as $80 million. It made $10.6 million from Thursday night previews, topping Five Nights at Freddy's' $10.3 million for best total by a video game adaptation, and increasing weekend projections to $80–100 million. After making $58 million on its first day (including previews), estimates were again revised to $135–150 million. Its domestic debut of $157 million in its opening weekend surpassed Black's 2023 film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest-grossing opening weekend for a movie based on a video game.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 49% of 112 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. 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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while 67% of those surveyed by PostTrak 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.
Critics were divided on the film's plot and whether or not A Minecraft Movie was a faithful adaptation of the game, as well as if it made sense to viewers unfamiliar with it. Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter and Jesse Hassenger of IGN both believed that the film's plot was confusing. Gyarkye felt that it struggled to maintain a balance between appeasing the Minecraft 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". Mark Kennedy of the Associated 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 films featuring concepts not present within the game itself to enable plot progression. Contrarily, Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence believed that the plot was fully comprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the game. Some reviewers viewed the fan service present within the film positively, particularly highlighting the tribute to Technoblade.
The performances of the cast were praised. Many viewed their performances as helping alleviate or distract any problems present within the film's plot. Black and Mamoa, in particular, received a lot of praise. Miller and Jordan Hoffman of Entertainment 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. However, some viewed that the characters, despite the performances of their actors, were generally underdeveloped. 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 a lot of praise.
Some reviewers questioned the purpose or value of the film, with some viewing it as nothing more than a product with the intent of promoting Minecraft. Both Kevin Maher of The Times and David Fear of Rolling Stone likened the film to a corporate cash-grab, viewing it as existing with the sole purpose of promoting the Minecraft brand and offering nothing else of value. 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. While Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent believed that the idea behind a live-action Minecraft 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.
In an interview with Variety, Legendary's Chairman of Worldwide Production Mary Parent explained how the movie earned the "A" in its title, stating that "We’re calling it ‘A Minecraft Movie’ because we’re respecting the fact that there’s no one story that drives the game". Jared Hess also included that "We’re not the official story. We’re not canonizing anything. We’re just one of a zillion stories", possibly leading to alternate film styles, genres, and plots. In another interview, director Jared Hess expressed interest in making a sequel, noting the the world's use of infinite mods, characters, and biomes, outlining how Minecraft is virtually endless.