The Big Picture
- Jack Black joins the cast of the Minecraft live-action adaptation, following his notable role in another video game adaptation The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Details about Black’s character in the Minecraft movie remain razor-thin.
- Minecraft will feature an ensemble cast, including Jason Momoa and Matt Berry, and is set to begin production soon in New Zealand.
Jack Black had a notable starring role in Universal and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie last year, and now he’s become the latest addition to another high-profile video game adaptation. Black has been reportedly cast in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Minecraft for Warner Bros., according to a report from Deadline. Details about Black’s character, like almost everything else about the upcoming film, remain razor-thin. However, the actor will likely have to get his building blocks ready soon, as Deadline reported that production on the film is about to get underway in New Zealand.
It was previously reported that the film would begin shooting in August 2023, but the final pieces just now appear to be settling into place. While details are slim, Minecraft will follow the Ender Dragon as he “sets out on a path of destruction, prompting a young girl and her group of unlikely adventurers to set out to save the Overworld,” according to a logline from Warner Bros. The film will be based on the popular video game series from Swedish studio, Mojang, that allows players to build a three-dimensional world while fighting enemies and crafting items.
Alongside Black, Minecraft is shaping up to be a hearty ensemble. The film will star Jason Momoa in the lead role alongside Matt Berry. Also recently joining the cast were Wednesday star Emma Meyers and Danielle Brooks, the latter of whom can be seen in another Warner Bros. film currently in theaters, The Color Purple. Like Black, no descriptions for any of the characters have been revealed. Minecraft will be directed by Jared Hess. The film is a co-production from Legendary, Vertigo, and Mojang, and will be produced by Roy Lee, Mary Parent, Jon Berg, Cale Boyter, Mojang’s Lydia Winters and Vu Bui, and the late Jill Messick. Momoa will also produce via his On the Roam banner.
Jack Black Recently Made Waves in ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’
Black has become famous for his iconic starring roles in comedic films such as School of Rock, Jumanji, Nacho Libre, and Tropic Thunder. He has also been in a number of family films, most notably as the lovable panda Po in the Kung Fu Panda series. However, his most recent work was as the antagonizing dragon Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, where he starred alongside Chris Pratt and Anya Taylor-Joy. A noted musician, Black performed an original song during the film, “Peaches,” that garnered significant social media attention and is nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Black isn’t done with video game adaptations beyond Minecraft, either. He is set to star in Lionsgate’s upcoming Borderlands adaptation as the voice of Claptrap, a sarcastic robot that has become something of an iconic character for that franchise. That film is scheduled for a 2024 release, so it seems Black will be busy using a controller for the foreseeable future.
Minecraft is slated to be released in the U.S. on April 4, 2025. Until then, stay tuned to Collider for updates.
