Minecraft Movie enthusiasts were in for a shock upon discovering who almost led the cast in the recent screen adaptation.
Jack Black, the man behind the latest box office hit, snatched the limelight due to industrial strike action during its production phase.
The versatile talent known for his roles in Kung Fu Panda and School of Rock stepped into shoes initially meant for an actor fresh off Hollywood’s stage, acclaimed for his stellar British comedy performances.
The fanbase is divided; some speculate that the role might have been beneath the originally chosen actor’s talents, while others are left pondering what might have been without Black’s involvement.
A startling piece of trivia shared on X claims: “Matt Berry was originally going to play Steve in the Minecraft Movie, but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts after the strikes.”
The SAG-AFTRA strikes last July caused multiple production holdups, including the anticipated Minecraft Movie.
Berry, celebrated for his work on The IT Crowd, Toast of London, and What We Do in the Shadows, was penned for the starring role, as reported by Puck newsletter, but fell through due to clashing schedules from the aforementioned strikes.
Despite this, Berry did not vanish entirely from the movie, instead featuring as a villager. Some fans express a mix of disappointment and relief, with one user on X articulating the sentiment: “Torn between ‘Matt Berry’s too good for that’ and ‘I want to hear him say chicken jockey.'”
Speculation is rife that Matt Berry might have been “too good” for a certain role, stirring up chatter about what might have been instead of Jack Black taking on the project. One comment read: “Obviously too good for it but it would have been a genuinely interesting choice.”
Another added: “The script being just Steve saying things from Minecraft makes so much more sense now. I could listen to that man read the phone book.”
Some fans reckon the script must’ve been penned with Berry’s distinctive vocal style in mind. A user pondered: “Honestly this makes Jack Black’s line deliveries make a lot more sense. I can imagine Matt Berry saying ‘I… am Steve’ in his voice I feel like Jack Black was going for that.”
An enthusiastic Berry fan stated: “Matt Berry would’ve been a better Steve imo. But that’s just because I love Matt Berry.”
Regardless of who ended up in the leading role, the Minecraft film has notched an impressive feat, ranking as the tenth highest-grossing video game movie adaptation. At the latest update, its global box office haul stands at $323 million.
But the crown goes to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which still holds the record as the top earner, having raked in $1.3 billion during its cinematic run.
Following its release, featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, the Minecraft Movie has stirred a buzz across social media platforms, leading to some overzealous fans being removed from theatres. Cinema staff are reportedly so overwhelmed by the fervour surrounding the opening weekend that they’ve contemplated quitting their jobs.