(Image credit: Warner Bros)
When the first trailer for the Minecraft Movie was unveiled last September, it sparked some anxiety among fans due to its unsettling realism. Yet, despite the wave of criticism, Jack Black and director Jared Hess admitted they didn’t foresee such a negative response. Black expressed his surprise in an interview with GamesRadar+, stating, “I mean, I was surprised, because I loved the trailer. I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to go over great,'” highlighting how many are sensitive to new releases.
Playing the main character Steve, drawn from the beloved Mojang Studios game, Black revealed that the trailer’s reception left him unsettled as he had believed it looked promising. “I love the movie, but now I’m like, I don’t know. Let’s see what everyone else thinks, because I don’t trust myself anymore,” he added.
Post-release, reactions poured in, critiquing elements like the floating CGI backgrounds, incomplete VFX, and overly lifelike animals—especially the now-infamous sheep. Hess feels that much of the criticism stemmed from a lack of context, drawing parallels to the initial response to his 2004 film, Napoleon Dynamite. “I think everybody was concerned. But we also knew there was a lot in that teaser that was out of context,” shared Hess in another interview. This realization prompted the team to release additional trailers to capture the essence of the movie more accurately before its April release.
Despite the initial hiccup, Hess maintained optimism. “We always had confidence in the film we were making, just because we, you know, we’ve been testing it, and the feedback from die-hard Minecraft fans was amazing,” he explained. Now, he’s excited to share the film with a broader audience.
A Minecraft Movie centers on four humans—played by Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Hansen, and Emma Myers—who find themselves in a blocky universe, relying on the quirky Steve to guide them home. Featuring stars like Jennifer Coolidge, this video game adaptation is eagerly awaited. The film debuts in theaters on April 4. Stay updated on the best video game movies or keep track of upcoming titles by following the latest movie news and reviews.