I personally don’t endorse the recent trend of making life-actions of video games. So you can tell I wasn’t impressed when a live-action Minecraft film was announced to be released in April next year. Even though Jared Hess‘ record of producing funny movies is quite good, I believe an animated film would have been a better idea.
Key Takeaways
- The live-action Minecraft film is set to release on 4 April 2024.
- Usually, live-action adaptations of video games are not well-received by fans. Animated films are better options.
- Even with a strong cast and a well-reputed director, the defining factor is the true portrayal of the game’s pixelated world which seems not possible in a live-action movie.
- With Warner Bros’ claim that the film will do justice to the game, a possible scenario could be a Jumanji-inspired world and a Minecraft-themed storyline with the same characters from the game.
Now that the film, starring Jason Momoa and co-starring Black Jack, is only one year away from its release, I think it is the right time to discuss what would and would not make it successful.
The Live Adaptation Of The Blocky World
The pixelated world made of blocks is the highlight of Minecraft. I believe it is also the unique selling point of this game. Otherwise, Minecraft is just another survival game focused on building tools and equipment.
If you take this unique feature away, you are left with nothing. Therefore, the success or failure of this upcoming film depends highly on how the directors choose to portray the open world.
Many YouTubers have made their animated Minecraft films and their success speaks volumes about what the fans want.
Consequently, most fans aren’t expecting much good from the upcoming live-action, as they believe it will be a dull, irrelevant story with a different and not-so-Minecraft world. I share the same thoughts.
However, even with so much criticism and backlash, the directors are still adamant about making it life-action, indicating they might have something different this time.
If Warner Bros has something special in their mind, its effective execution could prove to be a turning point for live-action adaptations.
The Main Story
Jared Hess’ selection as the director of the film makes it obvious that it will have an overall comedic nature. However, what remains a mystery now is the actual story of the movie.
Minecraft is not a defined-story-driven game. It allows you to build your world from scratch, giving you the liberty to design your own preferred story. I think it is a big factor in making it so successful.
This is not the case with the movie. A previous script hinted about the story involving a young girl and her friends set on a mission to save their world from Ender Dragon.
However, hiring new scrip writers, Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer, indicates a change in plan. Taking advantage of the liberty given by the sandbox game, they can create a compelling story for the movie.
I don’t know why but I think the original idea for the story will stay the same except for some changes. Again, I highly believe the effective portrayal of Minecraft’s Open World in the movie is equally as important as the script.
Possible Scenarios
In an interview with Screen Rant, producer Jon Berg indicated that
The movie will be true to the game.
What does it mean? Will we see a movie graphically true to Minecraft? or the game’s spirit? With no defined story available, there are multiple possible scenarios defining how the movie will work. I think the following scenarios are reasonably logical and practical:
- It may sound absurd, but remember Kanye West and Lil Pump wearing those Roblox clothes? We might see Jason Momoa and Black Jack in these clothes soon. This would be funny (and horrible?), which is the idea behind the film.
- If the above scenario seems more senseless, there is a more realistic approach. There might be no Minecraft world, and the only thing out of the game could be its characters, like Steve, Ender Dragon, Creepers, etc. This is more logical and story-driven.
- The final approach is proposed by James Troughton from theGamer, who suggests a Jumanji-like world. Characters named Steve and Henry may teleport into a Minecraft world where they will have to defend themselves from Creepers by gathering and developing supplies and finally get out of it by defeating Ender Dragon.
From what we know already, the movie seems like a mess. However, along with all the fans, I’m also wishing to be proven wrong and witness something that will take the game’s legacy to an even higher level.
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I have been into gaming since my childhood and have been writing about it for three years now. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies side-by-side, I spend lots of time reading books, learning new skills, playing chess, working out, and engaging in Reddit threads related to gaming.
