Minecraft One (film)

This article is about the 2035 film. For the original film, see Minecraft (film).

Minecraft One
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Freddie Goodwin
Written by	Freddie Goodwin
Based on	Minecraft by Mojang
Produced by	Freddie Goodwin Ryan Reynolds
Starring	Owen Wilson Jenna Ortega Grant Gustin Amy Poehler Scott Menville James Earl Jones Matt Doherty Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Production company	Mob Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date	August 17, 2035
Running time	150 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$375 million
Box office	$1.27 billion

Minecraft One is a 2035 American 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 prequel to Minecraft (2016) and is the fifth film in the Minecraft Cinematic Universe. The film is directed by Freddie Goodwin from a screenplay he wrote. Grant Gustin reprises his role as Steve Stonecutter, along with Amy Poehler as Alex Stonecutter, Scott Menville as Derp, and James Earl Jones as Herobrine, respectively. In the film, Steve Stonecutter encounters his evil duplicate — Herobrine — and must stop him with the help of his friends.

Development on a new Minecraft film began shortly after the release of the final installment of the MCCU in 2023. Freddie Goodwin planned to remaster the first film and worked alone until 2027. Shawn Levy joined the project and rewrote the script twice but ultimately decided to leave the project in June 2028. In January 2029, Goodwin chose to work alone and changed the plan to instead to make a new film that has a bit of the original film. He kept multiple elements and opted to change the flow of the film. He announced in 2030 that Herobrine and Steve would return with a much different storyline. In early 2031, the screenplay had been scrapped and reworked into a prequel, serving as a film years before the first film. Filming began in 2033 and concluded in December that year.

Minecraft One was theatrically released internationally on August 17, 2035, as part of the Minecraft Cinematic Universe. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the visual effects and action sequences, but criticism towards the human characters. It broke several box office records, and grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. A sequel, titled Minecraft Two, is scheduled to be released in June 2038.

Plot

Sam and her brother, Shane, begin playing Minecraft and open their public server. In the world, the two siblings begin to play mini-games, whilst Steve Stonecutter begins harnessing resources and begins building a base. He crosses paths with a local villager and chases him back to his home town village and is given food after saving a child villager from danger.

The village is attacked by Herobrine, who massacres the entire village in a hunt of a powered sword. Steve manages to escape with the sword but is knocked out and held hostage by Alex Stonecutter, who mistakens him for Herobrine. After convincing Alex, Steve agrees to help her stop Herobrine. They explain the sword will empower Herobrine and allow him access to the universe without effort.

Sam and Shane begin having visions of Steve's whereabouts and decide to meet up with him. On their way, they cross paths with Derp, who is also searching for Steve and is part of the Good Justice Society. Sam decides to shut down their server until their return and Shane discovers his ability to sense the whereabouts of powerful ores and items. They teleport with Derp to Steve's world and are attacked by Herobrine, who is now working with the Angel of Death, and vows to learn of Steve's location.

Steve and Alex travel across the wilderness and find themselves at Diamond Hill which isn't populated. They find a small village and meet up with the mayor of the village named Jackster. Herobrine appears and attacks the crew but disappears after discovering they don't have the sword. Steve and Alex rush back to the latter's village. They learn Herobrine is coming for the sword.

In a unknown place, Herobrine frees a Ravager and an army of Piglins controlled by The Piglin Master. He demands they help him at the price of freedom. The villains raid the village, leading to Herobrine killing Jackster, Sam and Shane intervene but are ultimately defeated, and Herobrine steals the sword gaining immense power and flees with The Piglin Master and the Angel of Death.

Steve, Alex, Derp, Sam, and Shane host a farewell to Jackster and vow to stop Herobrine. A post-credits scene reveals Herobrine is now ruling the Nether dimension with a army of Wardens.

Cast

"Live-action" characters

• Jenna Ortega as Sam Smith
• Owen Wilson as Shane Smith

CGI characters

• Grant Gustin as Steve Stonecutter

• Amy Poehler as Alex Stonecutter
• Scott Menville as Derp
• James Earl Jones as Herobrine
• Matt Doherty as Jackster
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Angel of Death and The Piglin Master

Production

Development

In 2023, rumors surfaced about a remake of the 2016 film, with a projected mid-2026 release. However, Goodwin quickly refuted these claims, clarifying he was not involved in any "remaster." By March 2024, it was officially announced that Goodwin would helm a new installment in the franchise. Speculation about the film's nature proliferated in June 2024, with conflicting reports suggesting it could be a sequel to the original quartet, a prequel set in an alternate universe, or a narrative centered around Herobrine titled "World of X." Yet, in August 2024, Goodwin dismissed these rumors, confirming the project would remain within the established universe of the first four films.

The screenplay's initial draft was completed by September 2024, but Goodwin found it dissatisfying, noting its resemblance to the first film without offering significant new content. This prompted him to reset the development process, seeking fresh directions that diverged from previous material. In October 2024, further updates revealed plans to divide the story into several segments, a strategy Goodwin acknowledged while hinting at an unexpected approach to the film's structure. By November 2024, during a public event, Goodwin unveiled that the movie, officially titled "Minecraft," would cast Herobrine as the primary antagonist. He also shared a revised release date, setting the premiere for 2035, and promised a narrative that would take audiences in novel directions, diverging from conventional expectations.

By February 2025, Goodwin had finalized a second draft of the screenplay but found it overly reliant on previous themes, prompting yet another reset. Determined to infuse the narrative with originality while preserving certain elements to maintain a sense of grandeur, he sought to ensure the film resonated as a significant event. However, in March 2025, portions of the script were leaked, leading Goodwin to confirm the authenticity of the leaks and subsequently revise those sections to preserve the element of surprise.

Shawn Levy worked on a draft of the film with Goodwin.

In a creative pivot in April 2025, Goodwin collaborated with Shawn Levy, known for his work on "Deadpool & Wolverine" (2024), aiming to enrich the screenplay with heightened action and humor. Despite the promising collaboration, Levy departed the project by the following month due to creative differences. In May, Goodwin contemplated introducing a new antagonist, such as Entity 303 or Null, but ultimately reaffirmed Herobrine as the story's central villain, believing his presence would better serve the narrative.

June 2025 marked the completion of the fourth screenplay draft. This time, Goodwin decided to retain the core script, focusing on refining and adjusting it rather than overhauling the project again. This decision underscored his commitment to striking a balance between originality and continuity, aiming to deliver a story that felt both fresh and familiar to the audience.

Pre-production

After being content with the decision to end the Minecraft trilogy after four films. Due to the success of the films in the amount of money they grossed all together, Goodwin was approached by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and asked to make a second trilogy, with more than four films and a "reboot" theme. After a month of thinking, Goodwin decided to make new films and began work on Minecraft One. He was set to produce and direct the film from a screenplay that would've been written by Jack Miller. Sadly, Miller died a week before the writing process began. Goodwin felt overwhelmed to write the screenplay, but ultimately decided to write it in honor of Miller.

Concurrently, Gustin thought he wasn't going to reprise his role as Steve Stonecutter and was pretty "chilled" with the decision to leave the role for a new actor. Goodwin approached Gustin and asked if he would reprise his role, to which Gustin agreed to do on the condition the first four films wouldn't be abandoned. Goodwin worked hard to ensure the films would "fit in well with the new trilogy", and planned to have the new film be a sequel. After four screenplays had been written, the film was changed to a prequel.

By June 2026, a year following the screenplay's finalization, Goodwin had engaged with several directors to scout suitable filming locations. He publicly announced the inclusion of Owen Wilson, Jenna Ortega, and a diverse cast in live-action roles, marking a significant milestone for the Minecraft film series as it ventured into live-action for the first time. Goodwin shared his enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing the innovative approach to blending real-world settings with digital effects. This transition to live-action was facilitated by leveraging the advanced technology previously utilized in the Transformers movie saga from 2007 to 2017, promising an immersive and visually striking experience that aimed to redefine the cinematic representation of the iconic game world.

Goodwin hinted that the film might not be named Minecraft One; Gustin soon called it "The Minecraft One film," and Goodwin later referred to it as Minecraft and Herobrine. Gustin announced in November 2029 that filming was scheduled to start just before mid-2032, and by December, it was confirmed that filming would kick off in May 2032. Gustin described the development of the film as one of the most enjoyable creative processes of his career, praising its innovative approach, action sequences, and humor. He emphasized his intention not to deviate from the essence of the previous adaptations, branding the film as "bold, daring, and definitely PG-13," drawing parallels to the compelling narratives and visual styles of the Transformers films from 2007 to 2017.

By February 2032, discussions were underway to possibly include a cameo by a well-known actor who had a significant role in the Transformers series, mirroring Patrick Stewart's involvement in the X-Men and MCU films. Later that month, a prominent actor was cast as the lead antagonist. This casting decision came after months of deliberation, as Marvel had been eyeing the actor for the role since late 2031 but had to navigate around their busy schedule. The choice was made after Goodwin was impressed by their performance in a contemporary theater piece. The actor expressed enthusiasm for portraying a villain, a departure from their usual roles.

Goodwin was announced to be producing the film alongside notable figures, utilizing his production house, in collaboration with veterans from the Transformers series. Filming locations were confirmed to include London, bringing a new geographical backdrop to the Minecraft film series. Producers from the Transformers franchise, along with an executive producer who had a hand in previous successful adaptations, were also involved in the project. They emphasized a deep commitment to the Minecraft universe and the characters within it, with the creative direction being a collaborative effort led by Goodwin, Gustin, and the team, ensuring a blend of action, comedy, and the expansive world-building characteristic of the Minecraft series.

Filming

Principal photography for Minecraft One commenced on May 22, 2032, 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.

Casting

Grant Gustin reprises his role as Steve Stonecutter, along with Amy Poehler as Alex Stonecutter, Scott Menville as Derp, and James Earl Jones as Herobrine, respectively. Owen Wilson and Jenna Ortega will be the lead "live-action" characters Sam and Shane.

Music

Max Jiller was hired to compose the film's score by mid-July 2030.

Marketing

A teaser trailer for the film was released during Super Bowl in February 2035.

Release

Minecraft One is scheduled to be released in the United States on August 17, 2035, in IMAX, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, Cinemark XD, and other premium formats. It was previously scheduled for 2027, 2031, 2033, and then 2034. It will be part of the Minecraft Cinematic Universe (MCCU).