Variety is reporting tonight that The Office star Steve Carell is in talks with Warner Bros. to headline their big-screen adaptation of the enormously popular video game, Minecraft.
Set to be directed by Rob McElhenney, who created FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the film is slowly starting to take shape, what with the recent news that Wonder Woman scribe Jason Fuchs is behind the script and now Carell coming on board. He’s the only cast member to be revealed so far, but should he sign on the dotted line, expect more big names to join him.
Plot details are non-existent at this stage, and given that there’s no real traditional narrative in the video game that the project is based on, it’s hard to predict how exactly the filmmakers will approach this adaptation. We don’t even know what role Carell is eyeing, though it’s presumably a lead one.
Hopefully, the film turns out to be more than just a cash-in for the studio. Video game adaptations tend to be absolute disasters, and while this one is a bit different as there’s no real story tied to Minecraft, we still have our hesitations. Then again, it’s said that Warner Bros. is looking to The LEGO Movie as a blueprint, which is an encouraging sign.
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see how it develops, as it’s still too early to pass any judgements. Nabbing an actor of Carell’s caliber is a smart move on the studio’s part though and we’re certainly eager to see who else ends up joining him.
Minecraft will arrive in theatres on May 25th, 2019.