Minecraft has added Danielle Brooks to the cast of the upcoming video game movie. The Peacemaker star is currently doing press for The Color Purple, but next year is going to be a busy one for the actress. Already a part of the Minecraft movie is Jason Momoa. Legendary inked the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom star to be a part of the film a while ago. Deadline reports that Sebastian Eugene Hansen is also a part of this cast. Jared Hess will be behind the camera for this one as Brooks plays Dawn and Hansen joins the adventure as Henry. Production is reported to begin gaining steam by the end of December, so there will be more developments out of New Zealand.
A tentative release date for the project was set for April 4th. But, with the writers and actors strike lasting so long, that’s likely changed. Legendary Pictures knows the appeal of such a project for a lot of gamers out there and probably doesn’t want to waste any more time getting Minecraft out to the masses. The general consensus online is that a movie like this should have happened ages ago. The Super Mario Bros. Movie just got done proving that there’s a real audience out there for these game-based adaptations. (To say nothing of the runaway success that Five Nights At Freddy’s sparked for Blumhouse just a month or so ago.)
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What Happened To Other Versions Of The Minecraft Movie?
Once upon a time, Rob McElhenney was supposed to direct the Minecraft movie. Due to creative differences between he and Warner Bros., the creative stepped away. However, during The Happy, Sad Confused podcast, McElhenney talked about what appealed to him about Minecraft and got him to sign on.
“I thought one of the greatest assets to Minecraft was they didn’t have a fixed narrative. It was an open world experience,” McElhenney explained to the host. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Danielle Brooks’ Next Project
The next time that fans see Danielle Brooks on-screen will be in The Color Purple though. The Christmas Day release is an adaptation of the musical rather than the iconic film. In this version, Brooks plays Sofia opposite Fantasia’s Celie. Back in 2022, Oprah shared a video of the actress getting the news of her casting. It was super emotional for everyone involved.
“I am here representing all things purple to tell you that you are our Sophia,” Brooks said to the former talk show host. “I’m so happy to pass whatever baton from 35 — almost 40 — years ago to you. And I know you’re gonna kill it.”
Brooks got overcome with emotion as she told Oprah she would do everything in her power to make her proud. The star of the original film said, “You already have. I wanted to be the one to tell you because you know I have such love for her, this character, everything she represents and everything she brought to my life. And what I’m hoping is that she does the same thing for you.”
Do you think Minecraft will be ready for next year? Let us know in the comments!
