Jack Black joins Jason Momoa in ‘Minecraft’ movie

The popular video game Minecraft is getting a big-screen adaptation, and Jack Black is the latest star to join the cast. 

Black will play Steve, the main protagonist of the game, alongside Jason Momoa, who will portray a mysterious character named Alex.

Minecraft is a sandbox game that allows players to create and explore a pixelated world made of blocks. The game has sold over 300 million copies and has nearly 140 million monthly active players, making it the bestselling video game of all time.

The movie, which is being produced by Warner Bros, Vertigo, Legendary, Mojang, Microsoft and Momoa’s On the Roam, is directed by Jared Hess, who is best known for his comedy films Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. The plot of the movie is still a secret, but it is expected to feature some of the iconic elements of the game, such as zombies, creepers, endermen and dragons.

The movie also stars Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen in supporting roles. The executive producers are Todd Hallowell, Kayleen Walters, Brian Mendoza and Jonathan Spaihts. The movie is slated for release on December 21, 2024.

Jack Black is no stranger to video game movies, having voiced the villainous Bowser in the smash hit The Super Mario Bros Movie, which grossed $1.36 billion worldwide in 2023. He also received his third Golden Globe nomination for co-writing and performing the song “Peaches” for the movie.

Black is also known for his voice work in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, which has earned $1.8 billion globally. He will reprise his role as Po in the fourth installment, which is coming out on March 8. Additionally, he will star in the upcoming Borderlands movie, based on another popular video game, and the Christmas comedy Dear Santa, directed by the Farrelly brothers.

Black is also a musician, and he and his partner Kyle Gass form the comedy rock duo Tenacious D. They won a Grammy in 2015 for their cover of “The Last in Line” and are currently on tour in Europe. Black’s other notable films include the Jumanji series and King Kong.

Black is represented by Ocean Ave. and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.