Credit: UniversalJack Black had one of the biggest hits of his long film career with a starring role as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), but he seems ready to leave that Nintendo franchise behind for another huge video game adaptation: Minecraft.
Deadline reports that Jack Black will star as Steve in the upcoming Minecraft movie alongside Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and Emma Myers. The actual plot of the long-in-development movie is still under wraps, but it seems all but confirmed by Black himself that he will be involved.
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Jack Black confirms he will star in the live-action ‘MINECRAFT’ movie.
Filming is about to begin. pic.twitter.com/cDsayN5SSt
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 2, 2024
While Jack Black has had numerous leading roles since the early 2000s, after first breaking out playing supporting characters in films like Enemy of the State (1998) and High Fidelity (2000), none have been of the magnitude of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The Illumination and Universal Pictures production grossed over $1.3 billion at the box office and ended up only second to Barbie (2023), a behemoth in its own right.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie ended up being a huge film for Universal, finally helping it defeat Disney as the biggest studio of the year, and garnered Jack Black a Golden Globe nomination for “Peaches,” his character’s lovelorn ballad. It was widely speculated that the film could earn an Academy Award nomination, which turned out not to be the case, but a Golden Globe still isn’t bad.
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Steve, the character Jack Black will portray in Minecraft, is one of the most recognizable characters from the original game and widely considered a mascot of the franchise. However, Steve (who was initially intended as a blank slate for players to modify) has almost no definable attributes or characteristics, making it anyone’s guess as to how Black will play him.
However, we’re finally getting a Minecraft movie after years of waiting, and Jack Black is getting to extend his winning video game adaptation run. Sounds win-win for everyone.
What do you think Minecraft will be about? Let’s hear your theories in the comments below!