A Minecraft Movie’s first teaser just released, and it has already sparked concerns among fans who fear it might follow the same path as the critically lambasted Borderlands adaptation. Read on to learn more about the teaser and the fan reactions to it.
Minecraft Portals to the Silver Screen, but Teaser Leaves Fans Divided
‘A Minecraft Movie’ to Hit Theaters April 4, 2025
After a decade-long wait, the beloved sandbox game Minecraft is finally making the leap to the big screen on April 4, 2025. However, the recently released teaser for ‘A Minecraft Movie’ has left fans both excited and puzzled by the many directions the film took.
The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Kate McKinnon, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Coolidge, Emma Myers, and Jemaine Clement. According to the teaser’s description, the story centers around "four misfits"—a group of ordinary people thrust into the "Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination." Somewhere along the line, they encounter Steve, an "expert crafter" played by Jack Black, and together they embark on a quest to find their way back home while learning some valuable life lessons along the way.
Despite big names attached to the project, an A-list cast doesn’t always guarantee a blockbuster hit. Eli Roth’s Borderlands learned this the hard way. Despite featuring Cate Blanchett, Jaimee Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, and others, the film was a critical and commercial flop. Critics slammed its lifeless adaptation of a game that’s otherwise bursting with personality. To learn more about how critics ripped the Borderlands movie to shreds, check out our article below!
Adapting a game like Minecraft, which lacks a traditional narrative, can be a formidable challenge. Without a clear storyline to guide the film, where does one even begin? Minecraft movie director Jared Hess took on this daunting task when he replaced Peter Sollet in 2022.
As Hess explained to The Salt Lake Tribune earlier this year, "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."
In the same interview, Hess alluded to the backlash that surrounded the first trailer of the Sonic the Hedgehog film, saying "I think anybody that does any IP, they just want to avoid an ugly ‘Sonic’ situation." For context, the Uncanny-Valley translation of the Sega character to live-action led to significant fan outcry and forced a delay in the film’s release so that they could redesign Sonic’s look.
While not as severe at the moment, based on early reactions, it seems the Minecraft movie may be facing a similar backlash.
Minecraft Fans Question What Lies Beyond the Blocks
Even Minecraft fans are divided over the latest teaser. While some are thrilled with the easter eggs and references, many are baffled by certain creative choices.
Jason Momoa’s portrayal of Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison has raised eyebrows, with many criticizing his wig and costume as looking cheap and cartoonish. Jack Black’s live-action portrayal of Steve, the Minecraft player character, has also sparked controversy, as some fans argue that a CGI version voiced by Black would have better captured the game’s aesthetic.
While these could very well hold plot significance, Esquire's Josh Rosenberg raises questions about the use of a cliché video game movie trope—ordinary characters being sucked into a virtual world—when Minecraft itself is celebrated for its imaginative nature.
"You’d think that Minecraft—the highest-selling video game of all time!—would’ve changed some of the preconceived notions held by certain important creatives and C-suite dwellers," Rosenberg wrote. "And yet it seems as if Gen X still hasn’t evolved its concept of what video games are beyond… Jumanji."
Given Minecraft’s limitless possibilities, one would hope for a more innovative approach than simply following the well-worn path of Jumanji-style adventures. It’s almost as if Hollywood is playing its own game of Minecraft, but with a very limited set of blocks.
Regardless, A Minecraft Movie is set to hit theaters on April 4th of next year. Whether it will share the same fate as the underwhelming Borderlands film remains to be seen. However, if the Minecraft movie were to falter and become a box office dud, it’s comforting to know that an animated Minecraft series is in development at Netflix. You can find more details about the Netflix adaptation in the article below.
Source:
Jared Hess’ Interview with The Salt Lake Tribune
Esquire’s Josh Rosenberg on how "The Minecraft Movie Trailer Ruined My Week"
