14 years after the game was released, the cast of A Minecraft Movie think now is the perfect time for the adaptation to hit screens: "There's so many reasons"

Minecraft fans will know that the popular sandbox game has been around for quite some time now, so why are we only just seeing a movie adaptation hit screens? A Minecraft Movie cast members and director Jared Hess have the answer to that, and why now is the perfect time for the movie to hit screens.

"As right now, the countries, it's crazy town. It is crazy town. And we are actually all trying to survive and figure out how to make it through this world," says star Danielle Brooks to GamesRadar+, referring to the current state of the world. "And I think if you can like escape, whether that be through gaming or watching a movie, take your escape. You know what I mean? Take a moment to like, breathe, and find some peace and laughter. So go see the movie!"

Helmer Hess, best known for his comedy works such as Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, adds that Minecraft creators Mojang Studios have wanted to "make a movie about Minecraft for a long time." Originally created by Markus Persson using the Java, the first public alpha build of the Minecraft game was released in May 2009, before receiving a full release in November 2011. Since then, the game has only grown in popularity and has since spun off other Minecraft games too.

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But now, all of the stars have aligned, and with a great cast and creative team behind the film, A Minecraft Movie has finally been born. "So, we are kind of late to the game with this," adds Hess. "But it's just been amazing to do it on such a big scale with such amazing, talented actors."

Star Sebastian Hansen, who plays Henry – a teenage boy who fills the shoes of every kid who has may have their own troubles in the real world and have used the Minecraft game as an escape, agrees with Hess. "Minecraft is one of the most popular games," says Hansen. "And it is a very good sandbox game. So I think that, you know, every movie is basically a sandbox, because you have to write it, direct it, all of it. So this is definitely a good time."

However, Jack Black on the other hand, feels like you can "never know when the perfect timing is," but with "a little bit of luck and a lot of love, a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears," the team can only hope that A Minecraft Movie is well received by fans. "Let's see, and we'll find out."

A Minecraft Movie follows four humans, Henry (Hansen), his sister Natalie (Emma Myers), ex-gaming legend Garret the Garbage Man (Jason Momoa), and real estate agent Dawn (Brooks), who get pulled into a strange cubic world where their only chance of survival falls down to in-game character Steve (Black).

A Minecraft Movie hits screens on April 4. For more, check out our list of the best video game movies, or keep up with upcoming video game movies and upcoming movies heading your way.