Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom star Jason Momoa is reportedly in talks to lead Warner Bros.' Minecraft movie.
According to The Ankler, Momoa is being eyed for the starring voiceover role in what's planned to be the first in a new movie franchise inspired by the fan-favorite video game. Jared Hess is directing from a script by Allison Schroeder.
Developed by Mojang Studios, 4J Studios, SkyBox Labs, Other Ocean Interactive, Double Eleven and Telltale Games, Minecraft is a 3D survival sandbox video game series that debuted in 2011 and has spawned multiple spinoffs, tie-ins and even a 2012 documentary. A theatrical film entered development in 2014 but has seen very little movement since. Original direct Shawn Levy dropped out and was replaced by Rob McElhenney in 2016, and it was previously reported that Steve Carrell was in talks to lead the project. McElhenney and writer Jason Fuchs then exited in 2018, with Aaron and Adam Nee taking over. Peter Sollett joined the project as the new writer/director in 2019. Progress stalled again when the movie was removed from Warner Bros.' calendar in October 2020.
"I'm comfortable talking about it, because f--k them at this point," McElhenney previously said on Happy Sad Confused while discussing his departure from Minecraft. "I thought one of the greatest assets to Minecraft was they didn't have a fixed narrative. It was an open world experience. All you were essentially give was the building blocks to do whatever you want. I thought, what an amazing tool, much like Legos except now you're talking about infinite possibilities because it's digital, to give to kids--and not just kids, but any person who feels powerless. Kids mostly feel powerless; all day long they're being told what to do, how to dress, do your homework, go to bed. I felt like that could extend to other people. I think everybody feels marginalized to an extent. Your boss is telling you what to do all day long, or your spouse is. You just feel like you don't have this sense of agency over your own life. The game gave you that, and I thought that's a really profound experience."
As for Momoa, he's not only headlining Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom but also Fast & Furious 10 as a new villain character.
Source: The Ankler, via The Direct
