A Minecraft Movie’s Surreal Overworld Isn’t All CGI

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If you’ve watched the previews of a Minecraft film, you might be curious about how they filmed it. Given its vast blocky landscape seems almost unrealistic in live-action, surprisingly, that’s mostly what it was.

In a conversation with TopMob, director Jared Hess disclosed that they physically constructed the colossal sets forming the Overworld. This means that the actors didn’t merely act in front of green screens.

As a devoted Minecraft enthusiast, I crafted life-size forests straight out of the game! The Minecraft village we constructed was almost complete – it was colossal, to say the least. We didn’t just stop at the sets; we made them gargantuan!

Although digital set extensions were employed for expanding the backdrops, the primary world where the cast and I worked was entirely realized in physical form.

He went on to explain that we constructed both the mines and the Woodland Mansion. Each set was designed with practicality in mind, as a major aspect of the film. One of the greatest challenges in creating this movie was figuring out how to make the entire world feel real. We were fortunate to have an exceptional production designer named Grant Major working with us.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, it wasn’t just the practical sets that caught my eye. In this production, we weren’t battling against tennis balls; instead, those were actual villagers dressed up in villager costumes! And to keep things legal, we merely swapped out heads because, you know, messing with DNA modifications was off-limits.

Furthermore, the piglins were portrayed by stunt performers. As for Dennis, Steve’s loyal wolf companion, he was in fact a large puppet that was used during filming.

Dan Lemon, with his past work on movies such as The Batman, Disney’s live-action Jungle Book, the final Planet of the Apes films, Avatar, and more, skillfully orchestrated all this visual effect magic. As Olafsson stated, that prior expertise proved indispensable.

The producer clarified that he possesses extensive knowledge about working with both human actors and animal or fictional characters on film sets, ensuring their interactions appear authentic.

In my perspective, the culmination unfolds into an exquisite realm teeming with vibrant shades, oddly reminiscent cubic terrains, and bustling crowds of creatures and townsfolk that breathe life into the world as I journey through it on my quest across the Overworld.

Opting for a practical set design rather than relying solely on CGI was a wiser choice in this instance, given the potentially unsettling “uncanny valley” effect associated with live-action Disney productions. Luckily, the Overworld appears authentic and inhabited due to its real-life construction.

On this coming Friday, a “Minecraft” film hits theaters. TopMob’s review of the film rated it 7, commenting that the movie is essentially what one would expect from its previews. It’s a lively, action-packed film with plenty of jokes, Minecraft references, and a fantastical world reminiscent of the game, featuring Minecraft creatures and our human characters within it.

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2025-04-03 17:39