It looks like international superstar Jason Momoa will soon extend his highly successful partnership with powerhouse studio Warner Bros. After playing the title character in DC superhero movie Aquaman and Justice League (as well as in upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), and starring in Dune, the actor is nearing a deal to star in the movie adaptation of hit video game franchise Minecraft. As The Hollywood Reporter reveals, Momoa is in final negotiations to star in the live-action adaptation, which has been in the works for years.
Filmmaker Jared Hess is attached to direct the movie. The Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre director will take on the job of bringing the latest addition into the video game adaptations universe, a booming segment in the movie industry that has seen a rise in public interest with some successful titles that grossed significant numbers, such as Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog, and massively multiplayer online-inspired Free Guy, which recently scored a greenlight for a sequel.
Little is known about the details of the Minecraft movie adaptation at this point. The main question when it comes to this specific title is: how will the story incorporate into a live-action project a video game that is entirely based on building blocks? Even if you’re not a fan of Minecraft, you probably know enough to remember its signature look – if they keep that, does it mean we’ll get a square-looking Momoa? Will the movie be about people playing or creating Minecraft? So many questions…
If you are equally wondering all these things, you might feel less alone when you consider Warner Bros. may have also been struggling with how to bring this billion-dollar franchise into the big screen. The Minecraft movie was first announced all the way back in 2014, and a slate of directors have boarded and left the project since then. As this sounds like an incredibly complicated adaptation to get right, it’s no wonder the movie has been in development hell. Video game adaptations tend to fire up fan bases, so the best option with Minecraft is to tread lightly.
However, with Momoa closing a deal it seems like the project is finally moving to the next step, which suggests that a screenplay is nearing its final treatment. Momoa is, of course, a wise choice: the hugely popular actor became a fan-favorite as a DC superhero and soon will integrate another popular franchise by starring in Fast & Furious 10. So, as bad or good as the movie turns out, at least Momoa fans will flock to theaters in order to see his latest work when the time comes.
Minecraft was released in 2011 and its block-building gameplay ended up appealing especially to children, who were able to exercise their creativity by building anything they wanted inside the virtually infinite video game world. With over 200 million copies sold worldwide, it quickly became the best-selling video game of all time, and it looks like it’ll hold this title for many years to come: it still keeps over 100 million active players, more than a decade after its launch.
Warner Bros. is yet to reveal further details from the Minecraft movie, including a release window.