Minecraft is one of the most successful and influential games of the early 21st century, winning numerous awards and selling over 300 million copies (so far) since its release in 2011. So it was only a matter of time before Hollywood gave us a feature film based on the 3D sandbox game, simply titled Minecraft movie. Sure, one might have reservations about another movie based on a video game, but then again, we have Jason Momoa and Jack Black in the lead roles. And the first trailer is full of eye-catching, candy-colored cube visuals and sly references to the game that should please fans.

During the year MinecraftAt the time of release, Mojang Studios was receiving offers from Hollywood producers to make a television series based on the game, but the company wanted to wait for “the right idea”. In 2014, an attempt was made to make a crowdsourced fan film, but creator Markus “Notch” Persson did not agree to license the venture as he was already negotiating with Warner Bros. to make a film based on the game. Thus began a long, convoluted process of hiring directors and writers, and leaving the project for various reasons.

When the dust finally settled, Jared Hess (who worked with Black on Nacho Libre) ultimately directed. The COVID pandemic and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike delayed things even further, but filming finally wrapped earlier this year in Auckland, New Zealand — just in time for a spring 2025 theatrical release. According to the official synopsis:

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity isn’t just about creating, it’s about surviving! Four outsiders—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks)—are struggling with everyday problems when they’re suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from bad things like Piglins and Zombies) while also embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert craftsman, Steve (Jack Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be brave and reconnect with the traits that make each of them uniquely creative…the skills they need to succeed in the real world.

Players will recognize Steve as one of the default characters in the game Minecraft. The teaser is set to The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour,” and begins with our outsiders encountering a Tolkien-esque fantasy landscape — only with a lot of other cube-like shapes, like a pink sheep with a cube head. We get the aforementioned Piglins and other creatures before Black shows up and dramatically announces with great fanfare, “I am… Steve.” Honestly, we’ll probably watch this just for Black’s performance.

Minecraft movie will hit theaters in April 2025.

Featured Image: YouTube/Warner Bros.