Over the last three years, Minecraft fans have been on tenterhooks waiting for news about the first movie release in the franchise. So far, we have a tentative release date. It isn’t until 2019 though, so don’t get excited just yet. There have been some interesting developments, however, particularly where the cast is concerned.
The project has a director. Rob McElhenney from much-loved TV show ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ will take the helm and he has promised a ‘big and weird’ blockbuster. He’ll be joined by veteran funnyman Steve Carell, in an as yet unknown role. While the details are still hazy, there’s a lot of excitement about the possibility that Steve will play, well, Steve.
The prospect of a Minecraft movie is kind of strange because the game is designed to have no plot. Some recent installments (from TellTale games) introduced traditional narratives, but they are not perceived as being integral to the original title. So the question is, how do you cast a film like Minecraft and which Hollywood stars would make the perfect pick?
Lady Gaga as Alex
Our first pick might be a little unexpected. However, Miss Gaga has wowed audiences with recent performances and showed the doubters that she has some serious acting chops. She’s also got a really strong voice, which we think would translate well to a hard nosed female protagonist. Team her up with Steve Carell’s ‘Steve, ‘ and there could be magic.
Michael Cera as a Ghast
We reckon wispy-voiced Michael Cera is ideal for the role of the Ghast. These monsters float around the Minecraft world causing trouble for Alex and Steve. They can be a formidable foe, but the important thing is that they sound pretty ghostly and otherworldly. Cera’s reputation for playing neurotic characters, with nasal voices, convinces us that he’d be a good choice.
Salma Hayek as a Blaze
On the other hand, you want a fiery, passionate voice to embody the Blaze; a tempestuous ball of fire which roams the Nether. That’s why we’ve picked pint-sized flame-pot Salma Hayek. She may look sweet, but that Latino accent can slay a man at ten paces, especially when she’s angry.
Charlie Day as a Creeper
Creepers are gross looking green figures with no regard for their own well-being. We bet if you asked Rob McElhenney if that reminds him of anybody, he’d say Charlie from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’ So, who could be a better pick for this hissing monster? Charlie Day (yes, that’s his real name) would own this part and maybe even bring a little humanity to a creepy green ghoul.
Dwayne Johnson as a Spider Jockey
The one and only Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, could revive his wonderfully silly experience in The Scorpion King by playing another crazy monster. The Spider Jockey is, technically, two Minecraft characters combined, but we’d like to see Steve (or Alex) run into one while out exploring the Nether. Plus, if you’re riding a spider, you’ve got to be pretty cool, and few actors are as ice cold as Dwayne Johnson right now.
Meryl Streep as a Witch
Another left field choice, perhaps, but anybody who has seen Into the Woods will know that Meryl Streep can do witches just as well as she can do anything else. In most narratives, witches are quite charming at first. They are masters of deception and will do anything to get an unsuspecting victim to fall into their trap. Streep has that uncanny ability to switch from all sweet and nice to creepy old coot at the drop of a hat.
These are just a few ideas about who might have the voice acting skills to breathe life into the Minecraft movie. This won’t be an easy project to cast, because there’s the issue of how they’re going to construct the plot to deal with first.
According to the producers, they feel it’s important not to make any one interpretation seem like the ‘right’ Minecraft story. They want gamers to continue creating expansive, amazing worlds and carving out their own adventures. So, it’s going to be interesting to see what kind of direction they take this in.
Follow Us
