When the live-action movie adaptation of the highest-selling game of all time was announced, Minecraft fans were full of mixed reactions. The sandbox video game about building and survival with a bunch of blocks was deemed hard to translate onto the big screen by fans and others alike.
However, Jared Hess, the director of the movie, has acknowledged the challenges and said he feared upsetting fans with a poor adaptation. Hess drew similarities with 2020’s ‘Sonic The Hedgehog‘ movie. The initial trailer for the movie showed the iconic character with a highly realistic but creepy design. This caused a massive outrage on the internet, which eventually led to the delay and redesign of Sonic based on fan feedback which was very well welcomed. Here’s all he said about his ambitious project.
Jared Hess Speaks About Capturing The Spirit Of Minecraft
In an interview with Salt Lake Tribune, Jared Hess said, “There’s got to be a fun, ridiculous movie here” referring to his aim to embody the whimsical and blocky nature of Minecraft that the fans resonate with. “I think anybody that does any IP, they just want to avoid an ugly ‘Sonic’ situation,” he said. “I just can’t disappoint the 10-year-olds, or they’re going to murder us,” he added.
However, the recently dropped teaser trailer for the movie starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa has not been received well by fans for its tacky nature.
While Hess hoped that the movie would be “fun and ridiculous“, the teaser trailer due to its live-action elements in a green screen world has left fans disappointed. Even though Hess used the example of Sonic to avoid any controversy, he looks to be aiming directly for it with a bizarre creative decision to make live-action characters act in a green screen world instead of being animated characters.
Jared Hess Wants To Respect The Minecraft Franchise’s Legacy
Minecraft has been a very popular game, selling over 300 million copies ever since its release. The influence and impact the game has had is enormous and has influenced many age groups of gamers alike.
With such a beloved franchise at hand, Jared Hess knew the movie must respect what makes Minecraft truly special. This does not coincide with the teaser trailer at hand, but one can only hope that the finished movie can make it up to the fans in some way.
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Hess, however, sees the Minecraft movie as an opportunity for tons of fun but also understands the risk that lies behind adapting such an iconic game. By acknowledging the Sonic fears, Hess seems aware of the importance of respecting the source material which the fans hold so dearly.
Only time will tell if Hess’ words live up to his own expectations or if the movie will turn out to be yet another live-action video game movie tragedy.
