Warner Bros. and Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie couldn’t have carried at a better time. The pic, based on the the wildly popular kids video game, earned a record-shattering $10.6 million in Thursday previews.
Five Nights at Freddy’s previously held the record for biggest previews for a video-game adaptation at $10.3 million.
If that sort of interest A Minecraft Movie continues, the high-wattage ensemble pic could open to $75 million or more, and that’s on the conservative side. The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after such films including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.
Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge and Danielle Brooks star in a A Minecraft Movie, as well as Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen. Many were in attendance for the film’s world premiere in London last weekend, helping to explain why they didn’t attend Warner Bros. CinemaCon presentation this week amid rampant speculation that Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav is looking to replace movie studio heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.
Minecraft is certainly a win for the duo, but Legendary’s May Parent helped guide the movie creatively, including help bring aboard Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) to direct.
The movie, based on the video game of the same name, centers around four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they must master their new reality’s quirks while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, as Black steps into the shoes of the iconic character Steve.
Minecraft opens day and date around the world.