Why 'A Minecraft Movie' Was A Box Office Hit: Key Reasons For Its Success And What That Could Mean For Future Video Game Movies
Image Source: GamesIndustry.biz
In a year where many prospective box office giants are bombing on the big screen, it may be useful to look back on a surprise success story: A Minecraft Movie. At first, Minecraft seems like a poor property to turn into a movie. It’s players finding and breaking or mining pixelated blocks to build things, but A Minecraft Movie managed to pull that concept into a plot and more. Coming after the trend of Barbenheimer, where people turned Barbie and Oppenheimer into a double feature, A Minecraft Movie followed suit.
As parents and kids flocked to the theater, A Minecraft Movie grew into a cultural event. After the initial screenings, chicken jockey became a viral trend, as did Steve’s Lava Chicken. There were even t-shirts made based on these viral sensations. Rowdy teens rejoiced when Chicken Jockey came on screen and launched their popcorn in the air. The film gained a cult following, much like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but on a much shorter timeline.
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Image Source: Animation World Network
Thanks to the rise of social media and a constantly online generation, A Minecraft Movie received extensive and free advertising across creators’ channels. The film’s director, Jared Hess, was ecstatic. He said at the time, “It’s been way too fun. People are sending me these really hilarious speeches that a lot of teenagers are giving right before the movie…It’s great, especially when people are climbing on their friend’s shoulders and standing up and cheering for those moments…But man, I’m just glad people are making memories with their friends and families.”
Critics treated the film harshly, giving it a score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences rated the film at 87%, which points to its biggest strength. A Minecraft Movie wasn’t written with critics in mind. It was simply entertainment for audiences, and audiences ran with it. Social media gave theater goers a bit of FOMO, or fear of missing out. Theaters even capitalized on the trend by hosting special movie screenings where guests were encouraged to react and make a ruckus.
A Minecraft Movie was successful largely because it didn’t try to be. This film wasn’t going to win an Oscar or be a darling of movie critics. The superhero and video game genres rarely are. Instead, this movie decided not to take itself too seriously. It leaned into the fun and the comedy. Sure, the film was heavily advertised in movie trailers and across cable and streaming sites, but most people probably flocked to the film after seeing people on Instagram and TikTok having fun with it.
With this information, the strategy for future video game adaptations is twofold. The first step is to ignore the critics. They’ve been subjected to countless films, some subpar and some excellent, so they’re unmoved by standard movie plots. The other strategy is to take all the energy behind advertising and fuel it into social media as well as the standard trailers.
Image Source: IGN Nordic
The box office success of A Minecraft Movie and the more recent Super Mario Galaxy Movieshows that video game adaptations are likely to keep coming. In a post-COVID world, theater goers are rediscovering community. Horror movies have seen a similar phenomenon. Ryan Coogler, who directed Sinners, compared the two genres. He said, “I think that since the pandemic, it’s caused everybody to re-evaluate what makes communal events so special, and horror, like comedy, is really fun to watch with a crowd. There is something exhilarating about being scared in a room full of strangers in the dark…Maybe I’ll get a jolt, or I’ll hear someone else get scared. It becomes a circular feedback thing. There is an interactivity to a movie that has those horror elements that’s really great.”
Videogames are effective narratives precisely because they’re told through interactivity. When the villain in Uncharted criticizes Nathan Drake, and by extension the player, for mowing down hundreds of mooks to reach his goals, it hits the player harder as they’re just as guilty. A Minecraft Movie seems to have unlocked this secret. Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros. president of production and development explained the movie’s process, “There’s something special about the way people connect with the game. We knew if we could harness the same love and humor and creativity in a cinematic experience, the potential will be limitless.” That audience involvement will keep moviegoers talking about the film long after its theatrical run.
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Source(s): Variety, BBC, Minecraft Wiki, Cinemablend,
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