How does an actor prepare to star in the Minecraft movie? Well, by playing a lot of Minecraft. Or at least that was Jack Black’s approach when getting ready to star in the film.
He told IGN, “I have literally been exclusive to Minecraft for the last month and a half. All Minecraft all the time. I’m in a little movie called Minecraft. I don’t want to brag, but it’s kind of a big deal.”
Black plays Steve in the upcoming Minecraft film, but the plot of the film remains a mystery. As fans know, Minecraft is an open-ended sandbox game with no set story. Whatever the case, Black said he’s actually returning to Minecraft, as he played the game “years ago” because his kids were, too, and he wanted to talk to them about it.
“So I studied hard and I learned and I was getting really into it building houses and tunneling around. Now I’m getting back into it–it’s pretty rad,” he said.
Black is becoming something of a go-to actor for video game films. Before this, he voiced Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and he played a main character in the new Jumanji films, which have video game elements. He’s also set to appear as the voice of Claptrap in the upcoming Borderlands film.
The Minecraft movie also stars Danielle Brooks, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement, and Emma Myers. It’s currently filming in New Zealand with Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess directing. The film arrives in April 2025.