On a list of movies no-one needs or wants, we would put the Minecraft Movie pretty highly. Sure, the Microsoft-owned game has many fans, but that does not mean they want a movie. We all use emojis but hardly flocked to theaters to see the Emoji Movie last year. So, perhaps it’s good news that the Minecraft Movie has been delayed.
You may remember that movie was originally scheduled to be released during May 2019. With that date fast approaching some substantial changes behind the scenes mean the project has been shelved.
Director and co-writer Rob McElhenney told TheWrap that he has left the project and the release date is “not happening”. As McElhenney was writer and director, we guess the movie was moving ahead deep within his vision.
Now the creative force has left the project, it leaves the Minecraft Movie in flux. Certainly, the departure will cause severe delays for the movie. It is unclear if the project will be re-written or how much animation work had already gone into the movie.
Reports suggest Warner Brothers are seeking the help of Aaron and Adam Nee to write a new script. Those two are currently writing the Masters of the Universe.
Microsoft’s Position
It is interesting that Microsoft announced the original May 2019 release date way back in 2019. The company argued this would allow a good amount of time to make the project excellent. It is perhaps ironic considering the long development process that the director pulled the plug so close to the projected release.
Either way, it is clear that the Minecraft Movie is hardly a be all and end all kind of deal for Microsoft. However, there is no doubt that the company would have planned Minecraft game tie-ins for the release.
New playable characters, worlds, items, and stories were likely prepped to coincide with the movie. Delaying the release would simply mean delaying those tie-ins… that’s fine. The problem for Microsoft is if a new script is written, many of those tie-ins could become disconnected.
