"Minecraft: The Movie" (directed by Jared Hess), the first live-action film based on the world of the popular game "Minecraft," has grossed 3 billion yen and attracted 2.33 million people in Japan in the 24 days since its release on April 25th to May 18th. As of May 19th, it is the most popular foreign film released this year. A vertical video clip of Steve (Jack Black) belting out the song "I Feel Alive" from the film has recently been specially released.
"Minecraft" is a game where you can freely create and adventure in a virtual space made of 3D blocks. In 2023, the number of copies sold worldwide exceeded 300 million. The movie is about Garrett (Jason Momoa), Natalie (Emma Myers), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks), who are not very popular in real life, who are transported to another world made of squares by the power of a mysterious blue glowing cube. With the advice of Steve (Jack Black), a native of the world, they use their creativity to survive in the "Minecraft world".
The released video shows Steve (Black), one of the main cast members, singing the song "I Feel Alive" with a powerful voice in front of Minecraft-style backgrounds, such as forests, caves, villages, boats, and minecarts. The song appears in the memorable scene at the end of the movie, where Steve, Garrett (played by Momoa), and other characters are smiling and dancing along to the song.
The film has already been released in 76 countries and regions around the world ahead of Japan, and has grossed over $920 million (approximately 133.5 billion yen). It is breaking records as the biggest hit of the year. In the United States, it has surpassed the opening record of the blockbuster film "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" (2023), and has the largest opening box office revenue in history for a movie based on a video game, making it a record-breaking hit (according to Box Office Mojo, 1 dollar is converted to 145 yen. As of May 19).
It was released in Japan on April 25th at 362 theaters and 958 screens nationwide. Large formats that allow immersive movie viewing, such as 3D, 4D, Dolby Cinema, ScreenX, and IMAX, have also been well-received, drawing a strong response, especially from families.
