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A Minecraft Movie is here! That's right, the big Hollywood game adaptation of one of the best open world games ever has finally hit screens, treating us to such viewing pleasures as Jack Black riding Jason Momoa like a dragon, and later exclaiming, "Let's mine, then let's craft, let's Minecraft!" Here, we tell you everything you need to know about the new movie before you go to the movie theater and enter The Overworld.
A Minecraft Movie hit screens this April. The film is adapted from the widely popular Minecraft video game by Mojang studios and stars comedy legend Jack Black as the game's player character Steve. The adaptation touches on Steve's experience but otherwise follows four regular world humans as they get pulled into a strange cubic universe (The Overworld) where their only chance of survival falls down to Black's eccentric and rather smelly character.
Article continues belowA Minecraft Movie release date
A Minecraft Movie hit screens just in time for spring on April 4, 2025.
We are still waiting on a streaming date, but if A Minecraft Movie follows a similar pattern to other Warner Brothers projects, the film should hit streaming services within a few months. However, movies can take even longer to hit streaming sites if they prove to be a success at the box office, which equals a longer theatrical run.
It is important to note that most Warner Bros. movies head to HBO's streaming service Max in the US. As Max is not available in the UK, viewers across the pond may have to wait a little longer to see A Minecraft Movie at home.
A Minecraft Movie reviews
Despite worries fans may have had over the film's striking use of VFX, the good news is that first reactions to A Minecraft Movie have been quite positive overall.
However, some critics seem to have not gelled with director Jared Hess, best known for Napoleon Dynamite, and his humour, as the film currently stands at 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, ouch. But audience reviews are rolling in, and they're looking a lot more promising.
In our A Minecraft Movie review, we said: "Jared Hess's indie sensibilities help to elevate a video game adaptation that is boosted further by Jack Black's irrepressible star turn. The special effects could be better, as could the female roles. But this remains an entertaining fantasy adventure that makes light work of what might appear to be unpromising source material."
A Minecraft Movie plot
If you've played Minecraft, you'll know that the game doesn't really have a story. In this regard, A Minecraft movie could have virtually taken any direction. However, the film cleverly plays on what viewers experience when they first open the game and quickly have to adapt to their surroundings. This includes building your first house, fighting off hostile mobs, and of course, getting used to the game's 20-minute long days. The four protagonists in the movie, teenager Henry, his older sister Natalie, local ex-gaming legend Garrett, and real estate agent Dawn, have to do just that.
The official synopsis for A Minecraft Movie reads: "Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.
To get back home, they’ll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve. Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world."
However, you may have noticed from the trailers that the movie includes monstrous human like pigs called Piglins who come from Minecraft's underworld known as The Nether. These monsters are taken from the Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft, as well as Minecraft Legends and Minecraft Dungeons. But the Piglins are not the only hostile mobs the group has to fight off, as there are plenty of other threats among the mass of Minecraft Movie Easter eggs.
When asked why he decided to focus on The Nether and the Piglins this time, Hess told GamesRadar+, "I'm obsessed with the Piglins. I think they're super gnarly and funny and gross and strange, and I love their weird barbarian culture," says Hess. "They're cannibals. They're obsessed with gold, and just thought that they would be such fun villains, but they've also got a unique story."
Hess later added that because the world of Minecraft is so "infinite," he is more than interested in making another movie.
The Piglins play a key role in the film that leads to one final blowout. But to save you from spoilers, we won't get into that here. Instead, you can check out our A Minecraft Movie ending explained guide.
A Minecraft Movie cast
A Minecraft Movie is packed with A-listers. Jack Black plays the one and only Steve, and we get to see Jason Momoa take a break from playing DC heroes to play his most comedic role yet in ex-gamer from the '80s turned failing small business owner Garrett (aka The Garbage Man).
The cast also includes Wednesday star Emma Myers as protective older sister Natalie, and Sebastian Hansen plays her little brother Henry. The group is completed by Orange is the New Black star Danielle Brooks who portrays the job juggling Dawn.
The wider cast also includes The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge as the Vice Principal of Chuglas High School (which Henry attends), as well as a few guest stars too.
Read the full A Minecraft Movie cast list down below:
- Jason Momoa as Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison
- Jack Black as Steve
- Emma Myers as Natalie
- Danielle Brooks as Dawn
- Sebastian Eugene Hansen as Henry
- Jennifer Coolidge as Vice Principal Marlene
- Rachel House as Malgosha
- Matt Berry in a surprise cameo*
*See our Minecraft Movie post-credits scene for more on that.
A Minecraft Movie trailer
Alongside a few short teasers, A Minecraft Movie released two trailers in the run-up to the film's April release. Due to unfinished VFX and the movie's choice of animation, some of the clips sparked some complaints about the look of the film, including a rather nightmarish sheep. However, the trailers are still fun and capture the overall aesthetic of the game and the movie.
The first trailer for A Minecraft Movie arrived on September 4, 2024. In the brief clip, we see a bunch of people getting pulled into the world of Minecraft, complete with questionable-looking sheep, Piglins out for blood, and Jack Black as the iconic character Steve.
The second trailer, which can be viewed above, arrived in February 2025 – and gave us our first look at Jennifer Coolidge, who hilariously appears in the final seconds of the clip. We also see some pretty cute cubic pandas, and learn about the dark forces that threaten to take over Steve's colorful and creative world.
A Minecraft Movie is out now. For more new flicks, you can read our list of all the upcoming movies hitting the big screen this year. We also have a guide on the best games like Minecraft, that you can play while we wait for the new film.
