Jack Black had a completely different role in A Minecraft Movie initially 

Jack Black's role in A Minecraft Movie has received considerable buzz as the highly awaited live-action version of the game is set to release this April. Based on the highly popular 2011 game Minecraft, created by Markus Persson, which is the bestselling video game in history.

Black is playing the role of Steve in the film, who is one of the first characters in the game and the first skin players could acquire. Surprisingly, Mojang Studios senior director Torfi Frans Ólafsson, just revealed that they initially had different plans for Black, as he was set to portray the character of a talking pig.

Ólafsson tells Variety,

"His character was originally a talking pig. And it was very, very, very late in the development where we had the idea to switch it to become Steve, because we needed an expert and host.”

The Minecraft film is set to be directed by Jared Hess, with the screenplay being written by Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer. Apart from Jack Black, it stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Jennifer Coolidge, and Sebastian Hansen.

The film is being brought by Warner Bros. Pictures, which was joined by several directors before being finalized by Jared. Principal photography started in 2023 and wrapped up in 2024. As of now, A Minecraft Movie is looking ahead to its release date next month.

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What was the controversy surrounding Jack Black's casting in A Minecraft Movie?

Upon the release of its trailer, A Minecraft Movie received considerable backlash as fans complained about the film's shabby premise and graphics. Many pointed out that the visuals in the film look AI generated and the inclusion of green screen characters and CGI made the overall scenery in the trailer look disappointing.

Many fans also commented that the film did not necessarily need real-life characters and could have been a better production if it was just animated.

Jack Black's casting choice has also been a topic of discussion among many fans who criticized his inclusion in the project. Some claimed that he "plays the same character" in every film, while others claimed he was the worst choice for the project.

However, Ólafsson further defended Black's casting in the film, as he told Variety,

"This is not my Steve or your Steve – this is Jack Black’s Steve. A lot of fans responded when they saw the first teasers and trailers, like, ‘Hey, wait a minute — this is just Jack Black. This isn’t Jack Black being someone else.’ And maybe it is, because this is literally him interpreting this character and what it means to him.”

A Minecraft Movie is set to hit theatres on 4 April 2025.