The casting announcements for the upcoming movie adaptation of Minecraft may cause more than one block-shaped eyebrow to lift. In addition to Jason Momoa and Jack Black (the latter of whom is reportedly playing the game’s main character, Minecraft Steve), the film has tapped several other actors known for their comedic prowess.
According to Deadline, the film will also include Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus, Legally Blonde), Kate McKinnon (pictured above in Barbie), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Emma Myers (the titular character’s roomie in Wednesday), Danielle Brooks (Peacemaker), and the young Sebastian Eugene Hansen.
This concoction of actors begs speculation about what the plot of Minecraft will be. Will the young Hansen, who plays a boy named Henry, become sucked into the block-shaped Minecraft world? If Black is playing Minecraft Steve, who the heck is Momoa playing? And what will these movie stars look like on-screen, given most of them are likely from the universe of Minecraft, where everything is made out of blocks?
The movie is currently filming in New Zealand, but we don’t know much about the plot yet. Director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) has said, however, that he’s trying to “avoid an ‘Ugly Sonic’ situation,” and that, “I just can’t disappoint the 10-year-olds, or they’re going to murder us.”
He added, “Trying to adapt something that doesn’t have a story—it’s an open sandbox game… I like the challenge. There’s got to be a fun, ridiculous movie here. And there is.”
Minecraft is set to premiere in theaters on April 4, 2025.
