On April 4, A Minecraft Movie was released in theaters. The movie is based on the 2011 video game Minecraft by Mojang studios. It was directed by Jared Hess and stars many famous actors like Jason Mamoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, and Emma Myers.
The story is centered around Steve (Jack Black), who is a struggling doorknob salesman who dreams of becoming a miner. His life changes when he discovers the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal, which opens a portal to the Overworld, an alternate dimension to Earth where everything is made of blocks. As Steve enters the portal and discovers the Overworld, he begins to create his own paradise there. Soon after, he stumbles into the Nether, a dark realm that is the complete opposite of the Overworld and is ruled by the Piglin leader Malgosha (Rachel House). Malgosha, obsessed with gold and power, imprisons Steve and demands that he gives her the Orb and Crystal in exchange for his freedom. Steve realizes that Malgosha is a danger to the Overworld and sends his dog, Dennis, back to Earth to hide the Orb and Crystal.
Years later, four people-Garrett (Jason Momoa), Natalie (Emma Myers), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks)-find themselves in the Overworld. Garrett, a video game store owner, stumbles upon the Orb and Crystal, unknowingly activating the portal. Natalie, Henry, and Dawn then get pulled into the adventure.
Once the group enters the Overworld, they have to navigate through many of its dangers like mobs of zombies and skeletons. They soon learn that the only way to return home is to find a new Earth Crystal, but the journey wouldn’t be easy. Meanwhile, Malgosha, aware of their presence, frees Steve and makes him go and retrieve the two artifacts.
As the group hurries to find a new crystal, they find the Woodland Mansion, a structure that is rumored to hold the key to them escaping. While Malgosha continues to try and steal the artifacts, the group must work together to protect the Overworld and prevent the Nether from invading it.
Since the movie’s release in early April, it has received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $818 million worldwide against its budget of $150 million. The film has also become the second highest grossing film of 2025 and the second highest grossing video game film of all time. “I used to play Minecraft all the time as a kid, and I thought the movie was pretty good. It was funny, entertaining, and you didn’t have to take it too seriously,” says senior Hannah Brown. “I think it deserves all of its good reviews and success.”
A big factor to the film’s box office success comes from the popularity it has gained on social media. Since the trailer of the movie came out, many people on social media have been posting and talking about the movie and even making jokes about specific lines said in the movie. When the movie was released, a TikTok trend was created where people go into the theater and scream “Chicken Jockey” when the main character Steve says it in the movie. In many of these videos, people have created a lot of commotion in theaters, such as bringing in live chickens during the movie, which ended up in many getting kicked out. While this may have created a joke out of the film, it is one of the main reasons why it has gotten so much popularity. “I’ve been seeing so many videos of people in theaters screaming and throwing popcorn when watching the movie and it’s kind of funny. The TikTok trend was the reason I went to go watch the movie, so it worked pretty well as marketing,” says Senior Megan Barghout.
Additionally, the Minecraft game has collaborated with many different brands to create promotions for the film including, action figures of the characters and special Happy Meals from McDonalds which includes a special sauce called the “Nether Flame Sauce”. No matter how good or bad the movie was to some, it’s hard to deny the marketing and internet commotion from this film has been the key to its success.
Whether you play Minecraft or not, this movie is fit for everyone. It ties in many aspects of the game that avid players can recognize while tying in a new storyline in it as well. The marketing and high-profile cast of the film has contributed to its box office success and many people have had good reviews of the movie as well. A sequel is currently in development although we don’t have many details of it yet.
