It’s official: A Minecraft Movie is a bonafide hit. By some estimates, it almost doubled its weekend box office prediction and was the top movie by a mile. It was always going to be one of the biggest movies on the 2025 movie schedule, but it seems even industry insiders have been surprised by just how big the Jack Black and Jason Momoa-led video game movie is. I, on the other hand, had no doubt, and all it took was one short conversation with my nine-year-old nephew.
My Nephew Has Been Thinking About This Movie For Months
I’m always amazed at how much marketing breaks through to kids. I mean, I get it, these advertisers know exactly what they are doing. Still, in the age of streaming without commercials and YouTube, it’s a feat trying to get through to kids like my niece and nephew.
My nephew was already talking about how excited he was about A Minecraft Movie months ago, long before the movie was really even on my radar, even though I write about movies every day. I got the sense it was pretty much the top topic on the playground with his friends. I didn’t quite understand how much he played until that conversation. He’s moved on from Mario-based games and is fully immersed in Minecraft. It also doesn’t matter what kind of reviews A Minecraft Movie gets, he’s not reading those.
Minecraft Make No Sense To Me
I am a casual gamer in that I, like everyone else in my generation, grew up playing Sega and Super NES, and I’ll still occasionally sit down and play some GTA 5 or Mario Kart if the mood strikes me. I’m not a hardcore gamer in the slightest, but I definitely understand the widespread popularity of Minecraft. It is the most popular game in the world, of course.
That said, I haven’t played the game for more than a couple of minutes here and there, and I don’t really understand it. Listening to my nephew explain his game is like listening to Rick Moranis’ character Louis Tully in Ghostbusters. My nephew takes about his castle and his floating meadow of cows, and his sister not allowing armor, and all I hear is, “During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor!”
I Knew A Minecraft Movie Would Be Huge
It stunned me to see just how surprised the Hollywood trades were by A Minecraft Movie crushing box office receipts. Every kid my niece and nephew’s age can’t wait to see the flick. Every Jack Black fan is excited too, including my sister’s kids, who it turns out also love the Jumanji actor. There’s a perfect storm of loud teenagers and pre-teens begging their parents to see the movie (possibly even in 4DX) NOW across the world, and parents are happy to relent.
It doesn’t matter if the movie is good, bad or otherwise. The kids don’t care, they just want a “real life” version of their make-believe world played out on the big screen with a big clown (in a good way), like Jack Black leading the charge. We're still a ways off from getting our Legend of Zelda movie, but I’m thrilled he’s getting his Minecraft one.
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