Jason Momoa in talks to star in ‘Minecraft’ movie
Aquaman star Jason Momoa is said to be in final negotiations to star in Warner Bros. Pictures live-action adaptation of the massively popular video game franchise, Minecraft.
Minecraft, which debuted in 2011, is a sandbox video game developed by Mojang Studios that's considered as one of the best-selling video games of all time. The game has sold over 238 million copies and has nearly 140 million monthly active users as of 2021.
In Minecraft, players explore a blocky, procedurally generated 3D world with virtually infinite terrain, and may discover and extract raw materials, craft tools and items,and build structures, earthworks and simple machines.
Momoa is best known for portraying Arthur Curry / Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe since 2016. The actor also played Khal Drogo in the first two seasons of the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones and most recently portrayed Duncan Idaho in the 2021 film adaptation of the science fiction novel Dune.
Jason Momoa to Star in ‘Minecraft’ Movie for Warner Bros. https://t.co/m0iNSsOa7a
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 18, 2022
He will be seen next in DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is set for a release in 2023.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Minecraft movie adaptation is set to be directed by Jared Hess, best known for comedy films Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Hess most recently directed a few episodes of Netflix’s documentary series Murder Among The Mormons.
No story details have been released for the film project, but it will be interesting to see how the blocky game will look visually in live-action.
Warner Bros. has been developing a Minecraft movie for years, and during that time directors Shawn Levy, Rob McElhenney ,and Peter Sollett were looking to direct. At one point, comedic actor Steve Carell was attached to star in the film.
In 2019, when the movie intiially had Peter Sollett (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) attached to write and direct, the story was set to follow, “a teenage girl and her unlikely group of adventurers who, after the malevolent Ender Dragon sets out on a path of destruction, must save their beautiful, blocky Overworld.” However, it’s likely that the movie’s plot has changed since the movie was first announced.
Video game movies are having a bit of a resurgence in Hollywood in recent years, with studios banking on the popularity of the gaming industry, along with nostalgia, and star power.
Earlier this year, Sony Pictures released Uncharted starring Tom Holland, while Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog sequel has been a surprising hit on the big screen this month. A Super Mario Bros. movie with Chris Pratt set to voice the titular character is also in the works.
Mojang Studios, the Swedish video game developer behind Minecraft, will be producing the movie.
