Minecraft Two (film)
| Minecraft Two | |
|---|---|
 Teaser poster | |
| Directed by | Travis Knight |
| Written by | Phil Lord Christopher Miller Emily V. Gordon |
| Story by | Rebecca Sugar |
| Based on | Minecraft by Mojang |
| Produced by | Freddie Goodwin Grant Gustin |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
| Edited by | Maryann Brandon |
| Music by | Ludwig Göransson |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250 million |
| Box office | $646 million |
Minecraft Two is a 2042 American animated superhero film based on the video game of the same name from Mojang. Produced by Mob Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is a sequel to Minecraft One (2035), and the sixth film in the Minecraft Cinematic Universe and is directed by Travis Knight from a script wrote by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Emily V. Gordon. The film is set to star Grant Gustin as Steve Stonecutter, Amy Poehler as Alex Stonecutter, Scott Menville as Derp, and Manu Bennett as Herobrine, respectively. In the film, Steve, Alex, and their friends embark on a quest to thwart Herobrine's plan to dominate the Overworld, facing challenges and uncovering his origins with allies Sam and Shane's support.
Multiple films were confirmed to be in development by July 2032 and a sequel to Minecraft One (2035). Development for a sequel to Minecraft One began in 2034 shortly after the completion of filming the film. Freddie Goodwin planned to remake the film making process entirely to make it cheaper. After the success of the first film, the teams increased their efforts on the sequel to release it sooner. Jenna Ortega and Owen Wilson were confirmed to be reprising their roles as Shane and Sam Smith in early 2036.
Minecraft Two was theatrically released internationally on June 10, 2042, as part of the Minecraft Cinematic Universe. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the visual effects and action sequences, but criticism towards the pacing. The film grossed over $646 million worldwide. A third film is in active development, titled Steve x Alex: The Dark Dynasty, and is scheduled to be released in September 2047.
Plot[edit | edit source]
Three months following Herobrine's take over of the Nether Dimension, Steve and Alex Stonecutter prepare to fight a war that they feel is coming to their home world. Whilst, Derp continues to work with Shane and Sam Smith to improve his usage of his powers. Steve falls into a coma and has visions of the dawn of time and reveals his past close friendship with Herobrine, before he turned evil. Herobrine was once a great person who does everything to help. On one ill fated day, Herobrine is mysteriously removed from existence and appears in a rubbish dimension.
In reality, Alex struggles to wake Steve, so she embarks on a mission to find a healing potion and recruit more heroes. On the way, she encounters Entity 303, who has powers similar to that of Herobrine. Entity 303 duels Alex across the globe and kills Shane, leaving Sam angered, who angerly stabs Entity 303 but the villain escapes. The team attend a funeral for Shane.
Derp works with Michael Stimes, who, previously betrayed them, had a change of heart. Michael learns about the missing files on Herobrine, and confronts Derp, who reveals Herobrine was the one to destroy them. Derp tells Michael they must trap Herobrine in the Nether.
Alex finally wakes Steve and the two reunite. In the Nether dimension, Herobrine orders Entity 303 to kill the heroes and bring them their souls. Herobrine begins using the souls of the Withers and Wardens to empower his sword.
Steve learns that they can kill Herobrine once and for all, only if they depower him by destroying his sword and then eliminating him. They travel to the Nether along with Derp and the Good Justice Society, a war begins, Alex destroys Herobrine's sword, eradicating the hostile monsters, leaving Steve to kill Herobinre. They win and the heroes celebrate.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Amy Poehler as Alex Stonecutter
- Scott Menville as Derp
- Manu Bennett as Herobrine
- Owen Wilson as Shane Smith
- Jenna Ortega as Sam Smith
- Matt Doherty as Entity 303
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Angel of Death and The Piglin Master
Production[edit | edit source]
Development[edit | edit source]
Multiple films were confirmed to be in development by July 2032 and a sequel to Minecraft One (2035). Development for a sequel to the fifth film began in 2034 shortly after the completion of filming Minecraft One. Freddie Goodwin planned to remake the film making process entirely to make it cheaper. After the success of the first film, the teams increased their efforts on the sequel to release it sooner. Goodwin worked with Grant Gustin to improve the story and after the criticism towards the human characters, Goodwin planned to remove them from the sequel, however Gustin requested to keep them in the film and just fix the issues the characters had. Gustin had joined as a producer by that stage. In June 2034, it was announced that the sequel would be titled Minecraft Two and would have a focus on Herobrine's backstory.
Goodwin and Gustin compared the film to Minecraft: Block Wars (2019) but with Herobrine in the film. Goodwin pubically confirmed that Derp would play a bigger role in the film. Even though his character wasn't planned to be in any film after Minecraft One (2035), Matt Doherty was still expected to appear in the film. In June 2035, Jenna Ortega and Owen Wilson were in meetings about reprising their roles in future films, with Ortega making a deal with them to return as a CGI character instead. The film was set to release in 2038, however was delayed until 2042 because of the negative response to the live-action portions of the first film which prompted Goodwin to restart the development to make the film in animated format.
In 2040, the film had been confirmed to feature the Nether Titan, a monsterous character that first appeared in 2023's "Nether War" novel. Gustin expressed excitement upon adapting novel-storylines into the films.
Pre-production[edit | edit source]
After completing work on the previous film, Goodwin approached Gustin and Disney on making future films and prepared to make a film to conclude the storyline completely. Gustin liked the idea, while Disney disliked it due to the potential of grossing more money in future installments. Goodwin expressed a desire to change up the films completely to make films that aren't interconnected, allowing him to produce better films. Disney agreed and greenlit the second film to conclude the storyline.
In June 2038, Goodwin began to work with Gustin to produce the film and intended Gustin to produce future films as well. Goodwin wanted to adapt aspects of Minecraft: Block Wars (2019) into the film, while Gustin, who produced the film, wanted to adapt the Nether War storyline from the novels. Gustin hinted at the Ender Dragon appearing in the film and Goodwin later confirmed it the following month.
In August 2038, Goodwin had revealed that Doherty would be cast as Entity 303. He previously portrayed Jackster in Minecraft One (2035). Goodwin pubically confirmed that Entity 303 would be the films lead villain whilst Herobrine would also appear in the film, however will be voiced by Manu Bennett.
Throughout September 2038, Goodwin began adjusting scenes to allow Bennett to portray Herobrine as best as he can without needing to compete with Jones from the previous five films. Gustin began working with Ryan Reynolds to adapt multiple comedy driven storylines into the film, after seeing Deadpool and Wolverine and his other films. Reynolds agreed to work on the film as long as his name wasn't credited as a producer.
Casting[edit | edit source]
Manu Bennett replaces James Earl Jones as Herobrine in the film. Reprising their roles from previous films, Grant Gustin as Steve Stonecutter, Amy Poehler as Alex Stonecutter, and Scott Menville as Derp, respectively. Matt Doherty returns in the film as Entity 303.
Filming[edit | edit source]
Principal photography for Minecraft Two commenced on May 22, 2038, in London and at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, under the working title "Tidal Wave." George Richmond, who had collaborated with Goodwin and Gustin on previous projects, took on the role of cinematographer. Gustin had advocated for shooting in Vancouver, his hometown and the location for earlier films in the series, but ultimately acquiesced to the production infrastructure already in place. Despite concerns, the 2032 Writers Guild of America strike did not affect filming, aside from Gustin's limited involvement in scriptwriting during the strike, a deviation from his previous hands-on approach. The production planned to proceed with principal photography and address any script changes during scheduled reshoots. Goodwin managed to balance directing duties with his role on the Netflix series Stranger Things, thanks to collaborative scheduling with Marvel Studios and the Stranger Things creative team.
In June 2032, the release date was unexpectedly moved up to May 3, 2033. A significant car crash scene was filmed in London in early July. Jennifer Garner's involvement as a character reminiscent of Elektra, which she had previously portrayed, was speculated but then denied by Garner herself. Filming also took place in Norfolk and at Bovingdon Film Studios, with a preference for on-location shoots to enhance the film's realism, including a scene featuring a giant 20th Century Fox logo. However, production halted on July 14 due to the 2032 SAG-AFTRA strike, with half of the planned 70 days of principal photography completed. The production team, led by Goodwin and Gustin, used this intermission to edit footage and start on visual effects, despite not having filmed major sequences intended for visual effects. Prior to the strike, certain actors had finished their scenes, including a pivotal sequence that Goodwin likened to iconic battles from classic films, influencing the film's action choreography.
Speculation about the cast continued, with Goodwin confirming some rumors but debunking others, such as the rumored cameo by Taylor Swift. Disney ensured the preservation of the film's sets during the strike, underlining its commitment to the project. The strikes cast uncertainty on the original release timeline, with discussions about potential delays and the film's title still in flux, reflecting the dynamic nature of the production process.
Following the strike's resolution, filming was poised to restart in London, with new elements such as the inclusion of a character akin to Dogpool, portrayed by a canine actor, adding unique touches to the narrative. Set photos leaked in December sparked discussions about the appearance of characters similar to Sabretooth and Toad, leading Gustin to address the challenges of managing leaks and attempting to maintain the film's surprise elements. The production's engagement with leaks even extended to playful social media strategies involving faux leaked images.
As the production wrapped in January 2034, it was clear that Minecraft One aimed to blend elements from its storied franchise with fresh, innovative approaches to storytelling and character development, mirroring the ambitious crossover strategies seen in successful franchises like Spider-Man: No Way Home. This approach promised a rich, multifaceted narrative that would both honor and expand upon the Minecraft universe.
Release[edit | edit source]
Minecraft Two was released in the United States on June 10, 2042, as part of the MCCU.