A Minecraft Movie’s big budget means it has to earn even more in theaters to become a real hit. With famous actors in the lead, A Minecraft Movie’s odd group of characters land in a block-shaped world full of color and never-ending building, starting a fun and wild trip to get back home. First shared in 2014, the Minecraft film has been talked about for a long time. As its release gets closer, it’s a good time to look at how it might do next to other popular video game movies.
Because A Minecraft Movie feels a lot like the Jumanji films, people think it might do really well at the box office, but no one knows how big it will be yet. At first, Jared Hess’ film got some hate, and some people said it looked like Borderlands and would fail. But after the second trailer came out, many fans changed their minds and started to get excited, especially younger viewers. With more people now waiting for its April release, A Minecraft Movie looks ready to beat some of the biggest live-action video game movies ever.
About Minecraft
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jared Hess |
| Screenplay by | Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, Chris Galletta |
| Story by | Allison Schroeder, Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer |
| Based on | Minecraft by Mojang Studios |
| Produced by | Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Roy Lee, Jon Berg, Jason Momoa, Jill Messick[a], Torfi Frans Olafsson, Vu Bui |
| Starring | Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge |
| Cinematography | Enrique Chediak |
| Edited by | James Thomas |
| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh[b] |
| Production companies | Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Mojang Studios, Vertigo Entertainment, On the Roam |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release dates | March 30, 2025 (Empire Leicester Square), April 4, 2025 (United States) |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Minecraft Box Office Collection
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | Minecraft |
| Total Global Gross | $940 million+ |
| Domestic Gross (USA) | $421.4 million |
| International Gross | $520 million |
| Box Office Rank (Video Game Movies) | 2nd Highest-Grossing |
| PG-Rated Movie Rank (All-Time) | On track for 20th position |
| Source | Koimoi |
Minecraft Cast & Crew
| Actor/Performer | Character/Role |
|---|---|
| Jason Momoa | Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison – Video game store owner & former game champion |
| Jack Black | Steve – Former doorknob salesman living in the Overworld |
| Sebastian Hansen | Henry – Natalie’s creative younger brother |
| Emma Myers | Natalie – Henry’s caring older sister and legal guardian |
| Danielle Brooks | Dawn – Real estate agent who runs a mobile petting zoo |
| Jennifer Coolidge | Marlene – Vice principal of Henry’s school |
| Rachel House | Voice of Malgosha – Piglin ruler of the Nether |
| Allan Henry | Physical actor of Malgosha |
| Jemaine Clement | Daryl – AuctioneerVoice of Bruce |
| Jared Hess | Voice of General Chungus – High-ranking piglin in Malgosha’s army |
| Matt Berry | Voice of Nitwit – Villager, Marlene’s eventual romantic partner |
| Bret McKenzie | Physical actor of Nitwit |
| DanTDM, Aphmau, Mumbo Jumbo, LDShadowLady | Cameos as auction attendees |
| Jens Bergensten | Cameo as a waiter |
| Pig wearing a crown | Tribute to late YouTuber Technoblade |
| Kate McKinnon | Uncredited cameo voice of Alex (post-credit scene) |
| Alice May Connolly | Physical actor of Alex |
Plot
Struggling doorknob salesman Steve travels to a hidden mine to fulfill a childhood dream, where he finds the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. He discovers that combining the two opens a portal to the Overworld, a strange realm made entirely of changeable solid terrain. There, Steve creates a peaceful life, but later finds a new portal leading to the fiery Nether. Imprisoned by Malgosha, the gold-hungry Piglin Queen who despises creativity, Steve quickly realizes that she plans to use the Orb to dominate the Overworld. To stop her, he sends his dog Dennis back through the portal, hiding both the Orb and the Crystal under Steve’s bed in the real world.
Years later, Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, a washed-up arcade champion, runs a failing video game shop in Chuglow, Idaho. At the local junkyard, he hopes to find valuable collectibles, especially an Atari Cosmos, but instead ends up with Steve’s old things – including an orb and a crystal. Meanwhile, siblings Henry and Natalie move to town after their mother passes away. When Henry’s DIY jetpack malfunctions at school and damages the chip factory, he hires Garrett to pretend to be his guardian. During a visit to Garrett’s store, Henry finds a hidden orb and crystal. Once he collects them, he and Garrett are taken to Steve’s mine. Natalie tracks Henry using her phone, and he, along with Don, a real estate agent and owner of a mobile petting zoo, also end up in the overworld. Malgosha senses the return of the Orb, frees Steve from prison, and uses Dennis as bait to capture him.
The group fights off the creatures overnight, during which Henry learns how to control blocks and builds a wooden castle. The Earth is torn apart by the crystal war. Steve arrives and eliminates the monsters and joins them on their quest to find a new crystal inside Woodland Mansion. In a nearby village, he teaches them how to craft, but a piglin attacks, which separates the group. When Natalie and Don meet Dennis, Steve leads the others to his hidden treasure of diamonds. Garrett becomes greedy and forces Steve to help him get there. Angered by their selfishness, Henry rebukes them. When the Great Hog attacks, the team escapes via minecart tracks. At the mansion, Henry grabs a new crystal and an Ender Pearl while Steve and Garrett are distracted. Malgosha snatches the orb and breaks the bridge, apparently killing Garrett. The survivors regroup at the Mushroom House. Using the orb, Malgosha begins a full-scale invasion by darkening the sky. Henry uses the Ender Pearl to retrieve the crystal, restoring sunlight and turning the piglins into zombies. With Malgosha defeated, the group returns to Chugglass and finds success – Steve and Garrett run a game shop, Natalie teaches self-defense, Henry perfects his jetpack, Don opens his zoo with Dennis, and they all launch a hit video game called Block City Battle Buddies.
5 Reasons ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Became a Record-Breaking Box Office Success
After a slow start to 2025, the box office has finally — thank goodness — shown some life.
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The surge comes directly from the massive success of “A Minecraft Movie,” the PG action-comedy starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa. Warner Bros. and Legendary brought the Minecraft game to theaters, and audiences loved it. It opened with $163 million in the U.S. and $313 million worldwide. That makes it the biggest movie opening of the year and the strongest game-based movie launch of all time.
“It hit the mark dead center,” said Warner Bros. distribution boss Jeff Goldstein. “The industry needed this shot.”
Goldstein believes “Minecraft” can change the box office narrative. Before this weekend, ticket sales were down 11% from last year and 40% from 2019. Now the gap is just 5.3% from 2024 and 35% from 2019. “One movie can change the entire market,” he says.
Warner Bros. needed a win. Rumor has it that CEO David Zaslav could replace the studio’s co-heads, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. Plus, the studio has recently suffered two major flops: “The Alto Knights” and “Mickey 17.” Next up: “Sinners,” a $90 million R-rated vampire thriller from the team behind “Black Panther” and “Creed,” and then this summer, James Gunn’s “Superman.”
“Napoleon Dynamite” director Jared Hess helmed “A Minecraft Movie.” It follows a group of oddballs who are drawn into a blocky world and helped by Steve (Black), a master builder. Critics gave it mixed reviews, but fans loved it — CinemaScore gave it a B+, and PostTrack gave it four out of five stars. That suggests strong staying power. The film cost $150 million before marketing.
Before Warner Bros. and Legendary plan a sequel, here are five big aspects of “Minecraft”’s breakout weekend:
- It appeals to everyone
Is Jack Black the key to adapting video games? He helped turn “Jumanji” and “Super Mario” into hits, and now he’s bringing Steve to life. But it’s not just gamers — families, teens, and adults all showed up. This looks like a rare five-quarter success. With repeat visits, it could crack the $1 billion mark. - Massive marketing partnerships
If you thought “Barbie” was everywhere, beware. “Minecraft” has tied up with 45 brands – from McDonald’s to Doritos and Oreo. They sold Green Milk, Block Meals at McDes and Poppy Soda. This became the largest third-party tie-in ever by Warner. ComScore’s Paul Dergarabadian says the deals helped the film stay on top for families. - Audiences were ready
From franchise flops to new original films, even after so many misses, audiences still wanted something new. “Minecraft” came at the perfect time – before spring break. Kids had time and parents had movie plans. Goldstein confirms: “We chose the date deliberately.” - Video game adaptations are trending
It was rare for video games to turn into hits. But Hollywood is learning fast. “Minecraft” follows in the footsteps of “Super Mario,” “Sonic,” “Freddy,” and “Uncharted.” Warner and Legendary teamed up with Mojang and Microsoft in New Zealand to stay true to the game while also allowing new people to enjoy it. Legendary’s Mary Parent says that Sony shaped the film even during marketing — they kept it fun and realistic. - It went viral online
Have you ever seen “Chicken Jockey”? Viral videos popped up everywhere — fans cheering, funny lines like “I wanted mines,” and Momoa boxing a baby zombie on a bird. Ehrenman says the clips “spread like wildfire.” The buzz helped bring more people to theaters.
All of these factors boosted the 2025 box office — which gave the season some hope.
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