When Microsoft acquired Mojang, it was clear there were big plans to extend the companies’ popular video game Minecraft past its singular form.
At E3, the two blew the audience away with their virtual reality presentation, demonstrating how Microsoft’s latest development HoloLens meant you could play the game on a 3D scale in your own living room. While the practicality of that was certainly questionable, the visuals made it feel like we’ve arrived in the future of tech.
Following the announcement, Microsoft and Mojang made another step in establishing other Minecraft properties, releasing the first trailer for a new version of the game, called Minecraft: Story Mode. The Telltale version of the game allows users to shy away from the usual storyless version of play, and embrace a story-rich, decision-based experience with an outstanding voice cast that includes Patton Oswalt, Martha Plimpton and Billy West. However, the trailer received a mixed reception online.
https://youtu.be/Sb7D8APneOA
But now, Microsoft is setting its sights on further expansion, announcing yesterday that Rob McElhenney, co-creator, writer and star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has been hired to direct the currently untitled Minecraft film. Reports from 2014 suggested a film was in the works, but this is the first serious piece of news about the project.
Mojang chief operating officer Vu Bui made the official announcement on the company’s website:
Hello there!
Some of you may have seen this guy hanging around MINECON in London a couple weeks ago. He’s Rob McElhenney, and he’s going to be directing the upcoming Minecraft movie.
– Vu (@vubui)
That was quickly followed up with a tweet from the project’s brand-new director:
Hey @Mojang let's do something strange and wonderful.
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) July 21, 2015
On first glance, this may seem like a strange choice. McElhenney stars in a very NSFW television show, which has justifiably been called “Seinfeld on crack.” It’s Always Sunny is a very funny show, but its vulgarity doesn’t exactly appeal to all audiences. He’s also never directed a film, and assuming they pour a considerable amount of money into the Minecraft movie, that could be seen as a pretty big gamble.
All things considered, that’s nitpicking. While McElhenney hasn’t directed a feature film, he’s directed and written many episodes of It’s Always Sunny. The show has run for 10 seasons and hasn’t had a dramatic drop-off in quality, which is impressive considering comedies never do that. McElhenney, along with his It’s Always Sunny co-stars, have a great thing going at FX, as the network is fully committed to them creatively. He knows what he’s doing.
Warner Brothers will be producing the film, and in a sequel-crazy world, you can bet they have the studio has its sights on making Minecraft a franchise.
That’s not a silly thought. Minecraft is insanely popular, essentially becoming the modern-day equivalent to LEGO, only with even more endless possibilities. With over 100 million registered users, more than one million active users at a time, and sales which have continued to make the game one of the most popular in the marketplace, there are plenty of reasons to believe the property could translate into a valuable film entity.
Yes, McElhenney on the surface is an odd choice to direct, but honestly, it’s a fun way for the franchise to go. He’s a gifted writer and director with tons of success doing television, and it’s not farfetched to think that his talent will translate well to film. Despite his brilliant past work leaning more towards the juvenile side, it doesn’t mean he couldn’t direct a good kids film.
Considering I had no interest in seeing a Minecraft movie before, this certainly piques my interest. If WB could do The LEGO Movie, why not Minecraft?
