- Jack Black was initially going to play a talking pig
- Fans reacted critically when he was announced as Steve
- Black was “the most passionate player” on set
Jack Black is set to play Steve in A Minecraft Movie, the upcoming adaptation of the beloved video game. However, things could have been so different, as it’s been revealed that the original plan was for Black to play the role of a talking pig.
Read more: A Minecraft Movie release, trailer, cast and plot
“His character was originally a talking pig, and it was very, very, very late in the development where we had the idea to switch it to become Steve, because we needed an expert and host,” Mojang’s senior director of original content Torfi Frans Ólafsson told Variety.
Read more: Fans praise A Minecraft Movie Enderman design
Jack Black’s Steve
When it was revealed the School of Rock actor was playing Steve, fans reacted with raised eyebrows. Many suggested that they were just going to get Jack Black in a blue t-shirt.
Ólafsson added that Black was making the role his own, which at least makes sense considering Steve is Minecraft’s default in-game player that can be customized.
“This is not my Steve or your Steve – this is Jack Black’s Steve,” he said. “A lot of fans responded when they saw the first teasers and trailers, like, ‘Hey, wait a minute — this is just Jack Black. This isn’t Jack Black being someone else.’ And maybe it is, because this is literally him interpreting this character and what it means to him.”
Jack Black played over 100 hours of Minecraft
Ólafsson also explained how production hooked the cast up with Xboxes and private Minecraft servers in their trailers, so they could wind down with some gaming on-set.
The Mojang exec revealed Black logged over 100 hours on the blocky game, and became “the most passionate player” on set.
“He was just completely manic, hoarding stuff in the mines, searching for lapis lazuli because he liked the way it sounds,” Ólafsson told the publication. “He kept saying it: ‘Can I talk about lapis lazuli in the movie?'”.
Now we’re all going to be listening out for mentions of the enchanting blue mineral in Black’s lines.
The Minecraft team has also confirmed that the leaked movie pack for the game is indeed official. The A Minecraft Movie in-game Hero Pack, which includes a blocky version of Black’s Steve, will be available from today, 20 March 2025.
A Minecraft Movie was directed by Napoleon Dynamite writer-director Jared Hess. Along with Black’s Steve, the film also stars Aquaman actor Jason Momoa as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison.
It is set to hit theaters on 4 April 2025.
