If you’re looking for more IP-driven content, then look no further! Warner Bros. has been looking to develop a Minecraft movie for many years now, and it seems that the project is coming into fruition with the inclusion of Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite & Nacho Libre) as director, and Aquaman‘s Jason Momoa leading the project as the main character.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Momoa would be in final talks to star in the Minecraft film, which would be a live-action adaptation of the popular Mojang video game, which took the internet by storm since it was released in 2011, which led to Mojang being sold by Microsoft for a whopping $2.5 billion!
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The Minecraft film is being produced by Mary Parent (who also produced Dune, starring Momoa) and Roy Lee, while Jill Messick will receive a posthumous credit for developing the movie before she died in 2018. Shawn Levy, Rob McElhenney, and Peter Sollett were all announced as directors since the movie started its development stages way back in 2014. It was scheduled to be released on March 4th, 2022, but the COVID-19 pandemic had shifted Warner Bros’ approach to work on the movie. No screenwriters are currently attached to the project, but Jason Fuchs and The Nee Brothers have been previously attached as screenwriters. No current production date has also been given.
Jason Momoa Goes From Superhero To Minecraft-er
Jason Momoa was recently seen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Sweet Girl, Dune, and Peacemaker, and will appear this year in Francis Lawrence’s Slumberland. He is also set to play the main villain in Fast & Furious 10: Parts 1 & 2, and reprise his role as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (he is also rumored to appear in The Flash, but no trade has confirmed his presence in the film yet).
A live-action Minecraft film certainly sounds interesting, and the potential is (dare I say) there, but very few video game movies have ever been able to capture the heart and soul of the source material, which is why many of them are vilified by both critics and fans. Though if it is done right, it could definitely mean success for Warner Bros, who is looking for their next big franchise after the Wizarding World failed to impress at the box office, and Discovery is looking to overhaul DC Entertainment.
The real question is what a Minecraft film would really entail, seeing as the game itself is of the sandbox variety. Minecraft is a 3-D computer game where players can build anything, and it has been described as being something akin to an online Lego experience, with building blocks and structures utilized across different environments and terrains. The virtual world the game revolves entirely around resource gathering, crafting items, building, and combat – with very little plot to speak of. But we’d watch Jason Momoa mow grass for two hours, so it could work!
Warner Bros. is no secret for having bet on video game movies. They are mostly known for releasing the Mortal Kombat franchise (through New Line Cinema), which also includes the abominable Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The 2021 reboot from Simon McQuoid was met with mixed critical reception, but positive fan engagement. The studio also released Rampage, starring Dwayne Johnson, and a reboot of Tomb Raider with Alicia Vikander. A sequel to Tomb Raider is currently in development, with Ben Wheatley directing, but Warner Bros is not involved. The film will be exclusively distributed by MGM/United Artists Inc.
What do you think? Will a Minecraft movie even be good? If so, is Jason Momoa the right actor to lead the project? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Twitter!
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
