13 Years Later, Jack Black Could Fix The Most Baffling Kids’ Game Ever
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One thought parents probably didn’t have before they were parents was: I really hope that when I have kids Jack Black is in all of the best family movies. Nobody planned for this to happen, but somehow, this is the world we live in, and even though many other things right now are awful, the Jack-Black-Dominates-Great-Kids-Media timeline is clearly the correct one. From Kung-Fu Panda to Jumanji, to his brilliant turn as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie — and of course the now-classic School of Rock — Jack Black has become several generations’ favorite adult to stick into a children’s media project.
And now, it looks like Black is leveling up into one film adaptation that makes almost no logical sense — starring in a live-action Minecraft movie. This in-the-works project will once again unite him with Jumanji co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. How does one make a live-action Minecraft film? Oddly enough, this family film is one of the most closely-guarded scripts of the moment. Deadline reported that “The pic’s plot is under wraps, with writing credits still being determined.” Perhaps, if the Minecraft project wanted to be extra good, they could get Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks) to do the screenplay. Because, in case you haven’t heard, Brooks has written Minecraft novels, which, are pretty decent.
For millions of parents, the domination of Minecraft — which began thirteen years ago — isn’t so much that it’s annoying, but rather, that it’s befuddling. What is it about this aesthetic and gameplay that kids find appealing? In fairness, Minecraft isn’t as straight-up annoying as Roblox, but it does share some of the same addictive, attention-grabbing features. For the most part, Minecraft isn’t always a game that bridges generational divides, instead, often erects walls between parents and kids, one digital brick at a time.
So, should we be overly confident that Jack Black could fix all that? Could a live-action Minecraft movie secretly be the next great family film? Based on Black’s excellent track record, there’s reason to be hopeful. Who knows, perhaps the best outcome of the Minecraft movie could be the moment when parents everywhere sigh, and say to themselves: “I finally get it.”