Minecraft Movie's First Trailer Has Arrived, And It's Incredible (2024)

By Eddie Makuch on September 4, 2024 at 6:05AM PDT

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Warner Bros. has debuted the first trailer for the long-in-development Minecraft movie, and it looks pretty great. For a deeper dive, make sure to check out our trailer breakdown. The film, which is based on Mojang's popular sandbox game, has a big cast of huge names, including Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Kate McKinnon, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Coolidge, Emma Myers, and Jemaine Clement.

Since the film was announced more than 10 years ago, people have been wondering how director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) and the writers might make a movie out of a game that has no real story. And now we know--take a look at the trailer for yourself below.

The Minecraft series isn't known for its narrative. In fact, the fact that Minecraft has no story is part of the appeal. You can do anything, be anything, and build anything you want in Minecraft.

Here is the official description for the Minecraft movie, including what the story is all about:

"Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn't just help you craft, it's essential to one's survival! Four misfits--Garrett 'The Garbage Man' Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers) and Dawn (Brooks)--find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world."

Hess said in an interview that when he took the job, he believed there was a "fun, ridiculous movie" to be made out of Minecraft, and in the end "there is," he said.

Prior to Hess coming aboard, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Rob McElhenney was attached to direct the Minecraft movie and got Warner Bros. to give him $150 million to make it. But after Warner Bros. had a leadership change, the new management didn't want McElhenney's movie. Before McElhenney, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy was attached and he pitched a Goonies-style adventure film. Mojang vetoed the idea and Levy moved on.

Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer wrote the screenplay for the Minecraft movie. The film is set for release on April 4, 2025.

The Minecraft movie was filmed in New Zealand, and leaks from the soundstages reveal entire trees made to look like they were made out of blocks with right angles. Continuing the New Zealand theme, the production designer for the Minecraft movie is none other than Grant Major, a New Zealand-based film legend who won an Oscar for The Lord of the Rings.

Danielle Brooks told Variety that she and Black, both accomplished and impressive voice talents, will probably do some singing in the Minecraft movie. "You can't do a movie with Danielle Brooks and Jack Black and not have us do something," Brooks said.

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