A Minecraft Movie has a curious name, but there is a fitting explanation behind it. As a live-action adaptation of the beloved video game, the upcoming Minecraft movie will be released on April 4. Jason Momoa is starring as The Garbage Man and will be featured alongside Jack Black (Steve), Emma Myers (Natalie), Jennifer Coolidge (Marlene), Danielle Brooks (Dawn), and Sebastian Hansen (Henry). They will all appear in live-action, as the story will see regular people entering Minecraft‘s world.
In an interview with Variety, Legendary’s chairman of worldwide production Mary Parent and director Jared Hess explained how the movie earned its name. Because the Minecraft game lacks any inherent story, they decided to honor that fact by showing that the plot is just “one of a zillion stories“. As a consequence, instead of calling it The Minecraft Movie, they instead went for a more non-specific title. Check out their quotes below:
Mary Parent: 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: We’re not the official story. We’re not canonizing anything. We’re just one of a zillion stories.
What A Minecraft Movie’s Title Means
There Could Be More Minecraft Movies
The Minecraft world is all about creativity. There is a narrative within the game, as defeating the End Dragon typically results in credits playing, but every individual story can continue afterwards, as players continue to develop their realms. Thanks to the entirely open world, even Minecraft‘s major world seeds can lend themselves to different stories, since each player can adjust the land however they like. As a consequence, it is difficult to canonize any element of a specific story, which is why the movie earned its title.
A Minecraft Movie reportedly has a $150 million budget.
By retaining the A Minecraft Movie title, there is no true push to canonize the narrative, which makes sense. Even if Jack Black and the other Minecraft stars earn skins in the game, every player will create a different narrative with those skins. The title simply acknowledges a natural aspect of the franchise and does not pretend that it is the only story in the Minecraft world. It also leaves room for a sequel or alternate story in the future, if this movie proves to be the success that Legendary is looking for.
Related
Why Minecraft: Story Mode Finally Deserves Another Chance
Years after its release and being discontinued, it may be time to acknowledge that Minecraft: Story Mode didn’t deserve all the negative attention.
Our Take On A Minecraft Movie’s Title
The Sentiment Is Nice, But It May Be Unnecessary
The sentiment behind the name is touching and acknowledges the history of the Minecraft franchise. Unfortunately, it is not wholly necessary. Viewers would likely understand that this is not the only story in this universe, especially considering that the game remains exceptionally popular today, having sold over 300 million copies. The audience would likely not be thrown off by a more traditional title. A Minecraft Movie is trying to set itself apart with its name, but it feels like little more than a gimmick.
Source: Variety
A Minecraft Movie
- Release Date
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April 4, 2025
- Runtime
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101 minutes
- Director
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Jared Hess
- Writers
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Chris Galletta, Gavin James, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Allison Schroeder, Chris Bowman
- Producers
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Jason Momoa, Jill Messick, Mary Parent, Roy Lee, Todd Hallowell, Cale Boyter, Jon Berg, Jon Spaihts, Brian Andrew Mendoza, Vu Bui, Lydia Winters