The makers of the Minecraft film want to avoid a Sonic-style controversy

Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Coolidge are in the cast of the adaptation of the hit video game.

Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, The brains) will spend the end of January 2024 in New Zealand, where he begins to scout out shots for the photographs of his next blockbuster: Minecraft. Based on the ultra-popular video game, the film is scheduled for 2025 in theaters.

Director Jared Hess and his wife and co-writer, Jerusha, saw Napoleon Dynamite, their low-budget bizarre comedy went from its premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival to $44 million at the box office. They have since built a film career that most Hollywood filmmakers would envy. The Salt Lake Tribune had the opportunity to speak with Jared Hessjust before his departure for New Zealand, to take stock of Minecraft.

How happened Minecraft ?

Jared: “I was developing a film with Legendary Pictures, but it didn’t come to fruition. They called me and said: “Hey, we’re going to work with Warner Bros. on Minecraft. Are you interested?“Our kids play this game all the time. Trying to adapt something that doesn’t have a story — it’s an infinite playground. I like the challenge. We have Jason Momoa. We have Jack Black. Who else has been announced?“

Jerusha: “There is a strange lady who has not been announced.“

On January 17, the specialized publication Dateline reported that the star of The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidgewho co-starred in the first Jerusha film, Austenlandhad joined the cast, as well as Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black, The Color Purple).

Jared: “We’re filming in Auckland, New Zealand, on these huge landscapes… The production designer is the one who did all the Lord of the Rings, Grant Major (…) I think anyone who does VFX just wants to avoid a scandal like with the horrible Sonic. I can’t disappoint 10 year olds or they’ll kill us. “

The director seems to consider the opinion of a community of seasoned gamers, for whom the design of Steve or the Creepers must be convincing, otherwise fans could improvise more credible avatars. This is what happened to the fastest blue hedgehog, Sonic directed by Jeff Flower. His first design horrified the public, who submitted a version much more similar to the iconic video game figure. Which pushed the VFX team to completely rework his look.

The ambitious project Minecraft should see the light of day April 2, 2025 At the movie theater.

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