Minecraft Universe: Chapter Two
| Minecraft Universe: Chapter Two | |
|---|---|
| File:Minecraft Universe Chapter Two logo.png Chapter logo | |
| Created by | Mob Studios |
| Original work | The Wither (2034) |
| Owner | |
| Years | 2034–present |
| Based on | Minecraft by Mojang Studios |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | |
| Television series |
|
| Television special(s) | |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Parent franchise | Minecraft Universe |
| Preceded by | Minecraft Universe: Chapter One |
Minecraft Universe: Chapter Two, commonly referred to as Chapter Two, is the second group of films, television series, and animated special presentations in the Minecraft Universe (MIU), an American animated media franchise based on the Minecraft video game. Produced by Mob Studios, Mob Productions, and Mojang Studios, it began with the theatrical film The Wither on October 20, 2034, following the conclusion of Minecraft Universe: Chapter One in Minecraft: The Broken Seed. The Disney+ miniseries Stronghold became the chapter's first television project in March 2035.[1][2][3]
Following a major restructuring announced on June 18, 2035, the chapter is planned to consist of ten films, eight television seasons across six series, and two animated special presentations released through 2040. Every unreleased project was delayed. Mob Studios also replaced the director and writing team of Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol, retitled the Herobrine film Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There, and added Minecraft: Ashes of the Nether, Minecraft: The Lost Village, and Minecraft: Echoes of the End to the film slate.[4][5][6]
Chapter Two follows the consequences of the Seed's creative power being distributed among independent systems at the conclusion of Minecraft: The Broken Seed. The Overworld, Nether, End, and Deep Dark remain connected, but no central pattern determines which settlement, memory, map, or generated structure is original. Communities encounter rejected or reconstructed versions of themselves, while incomplete player records released during the destruction of the World Loom develop into a figure whose conflicting identities form the basis of Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There.[7][8]
Mob Studios co-head Alex Brow described the chapter as a transition from Chapter One's conflict over preserving one world into stories concerning what happens when several contradictory worlds must coexist. Lena Cross said the June 2035 delays were intended to reduce overlapping animation schedules and prevent announced dates from controlling the development of unfinished stories.[9][10]
As of June 2035, The Wither and Stronghold had been released. Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol had returned to development under Brow, Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There, Deep Dark season two, and Mushroom Island were in production, and Ocean Monument and Bastion season two were in pre-production. The remaining projects were in development.[11]
Development[edit | edit source]
Planning and announcement[edit | edit source]
Planning for a second chapter began during production of Minecraft: The Second Dawn. Brow, Cross, Naomi Elridge, Jackson Miller, Freddie Goodwin, Owen Mercer, Talia Grant, Priya Desai, Michael Green, and Nia DaCosta participated in a franchise retreat in September 2031 to identify stories that could continue after Minecraft: The Broken Seed.[12]
The creative team decided that Chapter Two would follow the permanent consequences of the Seed's decentralization rather than introduce another system capable of restoring the previous status quo. Mercer proposed connecting the chapter's player mystery to incomplete memories and crafting records released by the World Loom instead of presenting Herobrine as an unexplained duplicate of Steve.[13]
Mob Studios announced Chapter Two on March 28, 2033, with seven films, five television projects, and two special presentations scheduled through 2038. The Wither, Herobrine, Ocean Monument, an Agent Derp sequel, and a direct continuation of Minecraft: The Second Dawn were already in development before the chapter was formally organized.[1][14]
June 2035 restructuring[edit | edit source]
After Stronghold concluded, Mob Studios reviewed every unreleased Chapter Two project. Cross said several productions were competing for the same senior animators, environment teams, and continuity staff, while later projects were being written around dates announced before their premises had fully developed.[10]
On June 18, 2035, the studio delayed every unreleased film, television season, and special presentation. The revised calendar extended Chapter Two from 2038 to 2040 and reduced the number of major releases scheduled within the same six-month period.[4][15]
Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol moved from August 15, 2035, to June 19, 2036. Alex Brow replaced Jackson Gold as director, while Brow, Talia Grant, and Owen Mercer replaced Goodwin as screenwriters. Gold and Goodwin retained story credit for the earlier version. Brow said he took the helm to “ensure it is a quality that meets a standard like the previous few films that have been released”.[16][17]
The film previously titled Herobrine was renamed Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There and moved from November 7, 2035, to October 16, 2036. Mercer said the new title better reflected a mystery in which settlements remember the same player as several incompatible people rather than a conventional monster story.[6]
Mob Studios added three films: Minecraft: Ashes of the Nether, Minecraft: The Lost Village, and Minecraft: Echoes of the End. It also ordered a third season of Villagers, a third season of Deep Dark, and a second season of End Cities.[5][18]
Production status[edit | edit source]
The Wither was released in October 2034, and Stronghold ran from March through April 2035. Both received positive reviews, with Stronghold becoming the best-reviewed project of the franchise by Rotten Tomatoes score.[19][20]
Production on the original version of Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol was paused in April 2035 after an internal assembly. The replacement creative team began revising the screenplay in June. Previously completed voice recording, character designs, and stronghold environments are being reviewed rather than automatically discarded.[16][21]
Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There remained in production after its retitling. Principal voice recording had begun in January 2035, although additional writing and recording were scheduled following the delay. Deep Dark season two and Mushroom Island also remained in production.[22][23][24]
Overarching storyline[edit | edit source]
Chapter Two begins after the World Loom is destroyed and the Seed no longer generates the dimensions from one central pattern. The world remains habitable, but locations can retain incompatible histories, structures may emerge from rejected generation patterns, and communities can remember people or events absent from neighboring settlements.[7]
The first group of projects concerns immediate consequences. The Wither follows memories trapped in soul sand; Stronghold and Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol concern records that generate Obsidian Bureau operatives; Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There investigates contradictory memories of an unidentified player; and Deep Dark season two follows sculk reproducing voices belonging to people who never entered the ancient city.
Ocean Monument, Ashes of the Nether, The Lost Village, Echoes of the End, Bastion, and End Cities expand societies that maintained their own histories outside Chapter One's dominant maps. Minecraft: The Third Dawn and The Far Lands concern competing versions of the Overworld and terrain generated from discarded world patterns.
Minecraft: World Unmade is intended to bring the chapter's conflicts together after incompatible versions of the dimensions begin generating simultaneously. Brow said the chapter would not reveal another single machine responsible for every conflict; its larger story develops through competing records and communities rather than one authoritative explanation.[25][9]
Films[edit | edit source]
| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wither | October 20, 2034 | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Celia North | Released |
| Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol | June 19, 2036 | Alex Brow | Alex Brow, Talia Grant, and Owen Mercer | In redevelopment |
| Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There | October 16, 2036 | Owen Mercer | Owen Mercer and Talia Grant | In production |
| Ocean Monument | July 16, 2037 | Nia DaCosta | Priya Desai | Pre-production |
| Minecraft: Ashes of the Nether | March 17, 2038 | TBA | Talia Grant and Celia North | In development |
| Minecraft: The Lost Village | September 15, 2038 | Naomi Elridge | Naomi Elridge and Priya Desai | In development |
| Minecraft: Echoes of the End | April 20, 2039 | Gareth Edwards | Michael Green and Naomi Elridge | In development |
| Minecraft: The Third Dawn | July 19, 2039 | Jackson Miller | Jackson Miller and Freddie Goodwin | In development |
| The Far Lands | December 7, 2039 | Gareth Edwards | Michael Green and Celia North | In development |
| Minecraft: World Unmade | July 18, 2040 | Jackson Miller | Jackson Miller, Freddie Goodwin, and Naomi Elridge | In development |
The Wither[edit | edit source]
Released on October 20, 2034, The Wither follows Sola, Garrick, and Edda after soul sand containing discarded memories spreads beneath settlements damaged during Minecraft: The Broken Seed. Jennifer Yuh Nelson directed the film from a screenplay by North.[2]
The film grossed $947.4 million worldwide and received praise for its horror-influenced animation, performances, and treatment of memory and identity.[26][19]
Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol[edit | edit source]
After Director Zero escapes into the stronghold network and begins generating agents from altered records, Derp, Cipher, and Flint must prevent the protocol from replacing the identities of Bureau personnel and entire settlements.
The film was originally scheduled for August 15, 2035, with Jackson Gold directing and Goodwin writing. Production was paused in April 2035, and Brow took over as director in June with Grant and Mercer joining him on the screenplay. It is now scheduled for June 19, 2036.[16]
Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There[edit | edit source]
Nia Vale, Lyra, and Oren investigate a player-shaped figure remembered as a founder, enemy, protector, and missing resident by settlements whose histories cannot all be true.
Mercer directs and co-wrote the film with Grant. Ayo Edebiri, Jodie Comer, and Ke Huy Quan lead the cast, with Taron Egerton and Florence Pugh returning in supporting roles. The film was previously titled Herobrine and is scheduled for October 16, 2036.[6][27]
Ocean Monument[edit | edit source]
Mina Quill, Nia, and Lyra discover a submerged civilization after newly generated oceans cover routes and settlements that previously existed on land.
DaCosta directs from a screenplay by Desai. The film was delayed to July 16, 2037, and remained in pre-production as of June 2035.[28]
Minecraft: Ashes of the Nether[edit | edit source]
Ruun and Brakka confront a Piglin settlement generated from the Nether's discarded history after its residents claim that the representative council destroyed their original civilization.
Grant and North are writing the film. Mob Studios had not announced a director or principal cast beyond the expected returns of Dev Patel and Gwendoline Christie. It is scheduled for March 17, 2038.[29]
Minecraft: The Lost Village[edit | edit source]
Sola, Oren, Tamsin, and Nia search for a village that appears on every new map despite no traveler being able to reach or remember it.
Elridge is set to direct and co-write with Desai. The film is scheduled for September 15, 2038 and continues storylines from Villagers season three.[30]
Minecraft: Echoes of the End[edit | edit source]
Serai and Cael investigate End cities that begin receiving memories from islands which were never generated in the surviving dimension.
Edwards is set to direct from a screenplay by Green and Elridge. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Riz Ahmed are expected to return. The film is scheduled for April 20, 2039.[31]
Minecraft: The Third Dawn[edit | edit source]
Steve and Alex attempt to prevent conflict among settlements constructed from different memories of the same world.
Miller returns to direct and co-write with Goodwin. The film was delayed to July 19, 2039.[32]
The Far Lands[edit | edit source]
Alex, Cael, Serai, Nia, and a group of cartographers travel beyond stable world generation into terrain assembled from unfinished and rejected patterns.
Edwards directs from a screenplay by Green and North. The film was delayed to December 7, 2039.[33]
Minecraft: World Unmade[edit | edit source]
Characters from the Overworld, Nether, End, Deep Dark, strongholds, ocean monuments, and Far Lands confront several incompatible versions of the world generating simultaneously.
Miller directs from a screenplay he is co-writing with Goodwin and Elridge. The chapter finale was delayed to July 18, 2040.[34]
Television series[edit | edit source]
| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Showrunner | Status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | ||||||
| Stronghold | 1 | 6 | March 7, 2035 | April 11, 2035 | Disney+ | Talia Grant | Released | |
| Deep Dark | 2 | 8 | September 4, 2036 | October 23, 2036 | Owen Mercer | In production | ||
| 3 | 8 | September 6, 2039 | October 25, 2039 | Owen Mercer | In development | |||
| Bastion | 2 | 8 | May 7, 2037 | June 25, 2037 | Talia Grant | Pre-production | ||
| End Cities | 1 | 6 | November 5, 2037 | December 10, 2037 | Naomi Elridge | In development | ||
| 2 | 6 | February 7, 2040 | March 14, 2040 | Naomi Elridge | In development | |||
| Villagers | 3 | 8 | April 14, 2038 | June 2, 2038 | Naomi Elridge | In development | ||
| Illagers | 1 | 8 | October 6, 2038 | November 24, 2038 | Priya Desai | In development | ||
Stronghold[edit | edit source]
The six-episode miniseries follows Cipher and Flint after dormant Obsidian Bureau facilities recognize agents whom nobody remembers. It premiered on Disney+ on March 7, 2035, and concluded on April 11.[3][35]
The series received critical acclaim and leads directly into Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol.[20]
Deep Dark seasons two and three[edit | edit source]
The second season follows Edda and the ancient-city expedition after sculk begins reproducing voices belonging to people who never entered the Deep Dark. It was delayed to September 4, 2036, and remained in production as of June 2035.[36]
A third season was announced for September 2039. Mob Studios did not release a premise beyond confirming that it would continue Edda's storyline after the events of Minecraft: Echoes of the End.[18]
Bastion season two[edit | edit source]
The Nether council faces a migration crisis as displaced Overworld communities seek access to stable Piglin territory. The season was delayed to May 7, 2037.[37]
End Cities[edit | edit source]
The first season follows End-born travelers establishing contact among settlements whose gravity systems and chorus archives developed independently after the destruction of the Ender Crown. It was delayed to November 5, 2037.[38]
A second season was announced for February 2040. Its story had not been disclosed as of June 2035.[18]
Villagers season three[edit | edit source]
The third season follows Sola's settlement as several villages claim incompatible ownership of the same farms, roads, and family histories. It is scheduled to premiere on April 14, 2038 and leads into Minecraft: The Lost Village.[39]
Illagers[edit | edit source]
The series follows Illager orders that believe unrestricted construction damages the world's intended generation. It was delayed to October 6, 2038.[40]
Special presentations[edit | edit source]
Mushroom Island[edit | edit source]
Derp and Needle attempt to recover an Obsidian Bureau evidence shipment from an isolated mushroom island whose residents have never encountered hostile mobs. The special was delayed to February 13, 2036.[41]
The Wandering Trader[edit | edit source]
Moss attempts to complete a trade route crossing several newly generated versions of the Overworld. The special was delayed to February 16, 2038.[42]
Timeline[edit | edit source]
The chapter's release order broadly follows its fictional chronology. The Wither begins after Minecraft: The Broken Seed, followed by Stronghold, Mushroom Island, and Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol. Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There and Deep Dark season two develop the chapter's player-memory mystery.
Later productions expand the Nether, villages, ocean monuments, End cities, and Far Lands before Minecraft: World Unmade concludes the announced storyline.
| Order | Project | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wither | 2034 |
| 2 | Stronghold | 2035 |
| 3 | Mushroom Island | 2036 |
| 4 | Agent Derp: Stronghold Protocol | 2036 |
| 5 | Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There | 2036 |
| 6 | Deep Dark, season 2 | 2036 |
| 7 | Bastion, season 2 | 2037 |
| 8 | Ocean Monument | 2037 |
| 9 | End Cities, season 1 | 2037 |
| 10 | The Wandering Trader | 2038 |
| 11 | Minecraft: Ashes of the Nether | 2038 |
| 12 | Villagers, season 3 | 2038 |
| 13 | Minecraft: The Lost Village | 2038 |
| 14 | Illagers | 2038 |
| 15 | Minecraft: Echoes of the End | 2039 |
| 16 | Minecraft: The Third Dawn | 2039 |
| 17 | Deep Dark, season 3 | 2039 |
| 18 | The Far Lands | 2039 |
| 19 | End Cities, season 2 | 2040 |
| 20 | Minecraft: World Unmade | 2040 |
Recurring cast and characters[edit | edit source]
| Character | Portrayed by | Announced Chapter Two projects |
|---|---|---|
| Steve | Taron Egerton |
|
| Alex | Florence Pugh |
|
| Mina Quill | Stephanie Hsu |
|
| Nia Vale | Ayo Edebiri |
|
| Sola | Michelle Yeoh |
|
| Garrick | Brian Tyree Henry |
|
| Edda | Bella Ramsey |
|
| Derp / Agent D-0 | Scott Menville |
|
| Cipher | Jenny Slate |
|
| Flint | John Boyega |
|
| Lyra | Jodie Comer |
|
| Ruun | Dev Patel |
|
| Serai | Gugu Mbatha-Raw |
|
| Cael | Riz Ahmed |
|
Themes and influences[edit | edit source]
Chapter Two continues the franchise's themes of construction, identity, memory, infrastructure, and political authority. Its central question concerns whether several contradictory versions of a world can remain valid without being merged into one official history.
Minecraft: The Man Who Wasn't There represents the chapter's central identity mystery. Mercer said the figure is unsettling because different communities possess sincere evidence of incompatible relationships with him, rather than because he simply resembles Steve.[13]
The additional films announced in June 2035 broaden the chapter beyond that mystery. Ashes of the Nether concerns historical legitimacy in the Piglin council, The Lost Village examines settlements that exist only through shared expectation, and Echoes of the End explores memories generated outside the End's surviving archives.[5]
Future[edit | edit source]
Minecraft: World Unmade is intended to conclude the announced Chapter Two storyline on July 18, 2040. Mob Studios has not announced whether the Minecraft Universe will continue with a third chapter.[34]
Brow said the expanded schedule gives individual projects more room to establish their societies and conflicts before the chapter finale. The studio is developing concepts that could continue beyond Chapter Two, but none has been assigned to a later chapter.[43]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Minecraft Universe
- Minecraft Universe: Chapter One
- List of Minecraft Universe films
- Characters of the Minecraft Universe
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Template:Cite press release
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- ↑ Grant, Talia (April 2033). "The Memories That Built the Missing Player". Story Engine. pp. 42–51.
{{cite magazine}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 Template:Cite interview
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Template:Cite interview
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- ↑ Moss, Leah (March 29, 2033). "Inside Mob Studios' 2031 Chapter Two Planning Retreat". Redstone Report. p. 4.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 Template:Cite interview
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- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "The Wither". Rotten Tomatoes. January 12, 2035.
{{cite web}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help) "The Wither Reviews". Metacritic. January 12, 2035.{{cite web}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Stronghold". Rotten Tomatoes. May 2, 2035.
{{cite web}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help) "Stronghold Reviews". Metacritic. May 2, 2035.{{cite web}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ Vale, Marissa (June 18, 2035). "What Mob Studios Is Keeping From the Earlier Stronghold Protocol Production". CraftWire. p. 2.
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- ↑ Grant, Elise (January 12, 2035). "The Wither Finishes With $947.4 Million Worldwide". Pixel & Picture. p. 1.
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