Netflix and Mojang are teaming up to produce a new animated series based on the hit game Minecraft.
Details at this moment are vague, but we do know that the series will tell an "original story with new characters and reflect the world of Minecraft in a new light."
The animated series is being developed by WildBrain, the creators of Sonic Prime, Ninjago: Dragons Rising, and Carmen Sandiego.
Released in 2011, Minecraft is an open world sandbox game where you are free to do virtually whatever you want. There are survival elements in the game, including enemy bosses that players can work towards defeating, but there's not really any main story or plot. There's also no real "main character," although Steve — one of nine default player character skins — is arguably the most recognizable.
Over the years, Mojang has released updates that offer quest-like activities and boss-type mobs for players to try and defeat — including the power Ender Dragon — but it's still largely up to the player to craft their own imaginative story. This sort of freedom should allow WildBrain to craft their own unique story that will hopefully capture the spirit and essence of what Minecraft is all about.
"This just happened: The best selling game of all time & the biggest streamer in the world are teaming up to bring you a brand NEW Minecraft Netflix animated series!" Mojang announced at the Minecraft 15th year anniversary celebration.
Minecraft is the best-selling video game in history, with over 300 million copies sold since it was first released over 12 years ago. Despite its age, Minecraft remains incredibly popular with around 140 million monthly active players as of 2023.
The popularity of Mojang's original game has sparked numerous spin-offs and adaptations. In 2015, Telltale Games introduced a bit of story in their own narrative-driven spin-off Minecraft: Story Mode. Other spin-offs of the original game include Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Legends.
Netflix's animated series isn't the only adaptation of Minecraft on the way. Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. are releasing a live-action movie based on the game. In fact, filming officially wrapped last month with the movie scheduled to hit theaters next year on April 4, 2025.
Similar to this animated series, not much is known about the story of the live-action Minecraft movie, but it's got a star-studded cast that includes Jason Mamoa, Kate McKinnon, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jemaine Clement. The movie is being directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), from a screenplay written by Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer, and co-produced by Momoa. Jack Black recently teased he will be playing Steve in the movie, although no official casting announcements have been made.