The hotly-anticipatedMinecraftmovie has added a pair of comedy ringers to its burgeoning cast.Kate McKinnonand JemaineClementwill join the film in unspecified roles.Deadlinereports that the duo has been added to a cast that already includesJason Momoa,Jack Black,Danielle Brooks,Emma Myers, andSebastian Eugene Hansen. Recent Emmy-winnerJennifer Coolidgewas just announcedto be joining the cast yesterday.
Based on the wildly popular worldbuilding video game of the same name, theMinecraftfilm has been in development since 2014. It will bedirected byNapoleon Dynamite’sJared Hess; plot and character details for the film are so far being kept under wraps, but it will focus on a teenage girl and a ragtag group of adventurers who must save the Overworld from the fearsome Ender Dragon. Unlike many recent video games that have made the transition from pixels to celluloid, the game itself has no plot; players build their own elaborate worlds while avoiding hostile creatures. Don’t start creeping around the multiplex yet, though;Minecraftis slated to bereleased on June 18, 2025.
Who Are Kate McKinnon and Jemaine Clement?
McKinnon starred on the venerable sketch comedy seriesSaturday Night Livefor nine seasons, departing in 2022 after winning two Emmys throughout her tenure; sherecently came back to serve as guest host. Outside ofSNL, she has pursued several projects, includingPaul Feig’s 2016Ghostbustersreboot and theTiger King-derived seriesJoe vs. Carole, where she playedCarole Baskin. She recently made a lasting impression asWeird Barbiein last summer’s megahitBarbie, and can next be seen inAndrew Stanton’s upcoming science fiction movieIn the Blink of an Eye.
The New Zealand-born Clement is one half of thecomedy music duoFlight of the Concords(withBret McKenzie), starring in their eponymous HBO series for two seasons. He starred in fellow KiwiTaika Waititi’s directorial debutEagle vs. Shark, and starred in his breakthrough hitWhat We Do in the Shadows. He will lend his voice to theupcoming stop-motion fantasyWildwoodand will write and produce aminiseries adaptation ofTime Banditsfor Apple.
Minecraft will be produced byRoy Lee,Jon Berg,Mary Parent,Cale Boyter, Momoa,Torfi Frans Olafsson,Vu Bui, andJill Messick(posthumously).Todd Hallowell,Kayleen Walters,Brian Mendoza, andJonathan Spaihtswill executive produce.
Minecraftis slated to be released in theaters on August 19, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch Collider’sBarbieinterview with McKinnon below.
The malevolent Ender Dragon sets out on a path of destruction, prompting a young girl and her group of unlikely adventurers to set out to save the Overworld.
