Minecraft Movie Aims To Avoid "Ugly Sonic" Situation, Director Says

A Minecraft movie is in the works starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, and now the director, Jared Hess, has shed more light on what to expect from the video game film. This includes how Hess is aiming to avoid an "ugly Sonic" situation and avoid disappointing children who love the game.

Speaking to the Salt Lake Tribune, Hess said he enjoys the challenge of trying to adapt a video game that doesn't even have much of a story. Minecraft is known for its open-ended sandbox nature, but Hess said he believed at the time he took the job that there is a "fun, ridiculous movie" to be made out of Minecraft. "And there is," he said

Hess also teased that, in addition to Momoa and Black, there are more cast members to be announced. His partner Jerusha said, "There's a funny lady, who has not been announced."

Filming on the Minecraft movie is taking place in New Zealand on "ginormous soundstages," Hess said. He also revealed that the production designer for the Minecraft movie is none other than Grant Major, a New Zealand-based film legend who won an Oscar for The Lord of the Rings.

Hess went on to say that he hopes to avoid an "ugly Sonic situation," referencing how the original design for Sonic for its own feature film was derided by fans. "I just can't disappoint the 10-year-olds, or they're going to murder us," he said.

Hess previously directed the movies Nacho Libre and Napoleon Dynamite, and co-wrote those films with Jerusha. The Minecraft film is set to hit theaters in April 2025; keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.