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Why it matters: A Minecraft Movie might not have won critical acclaim from reviewers, but it's certainly proving to be a hit with the general public. The film was a smash at the box office over the weekend, generating $157 million domestically and $144 million overseas for a total of $301 million – a new record opening for a video game adaptation.
The Jack Black and Jason Momoa-starring Minecraft movie was expected to earn around $150 million globally over its opening weekend, but it has managed to more than double that figure.
It also means that A Minecraft Movie has broken The Super Mario Bros. Movie's record for the best start ever for a video game adaptation. It earned $146.4 million during its three-day Easter weekend launch in 2023.
Super Mario Bros. went on to earn $500 million during its first week and $1.36 billion by the end of its box office run, so it'll be interesting to see how A Minecraft Movie compares. It's already 12th on the list of highest-grossing films based on video games (below).
Highest-grossing video game film adaptations
| Rank | Peak | Title | Based on video game(s) | Original game publisher(s) | Date | Worldwide gross | Distributor | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Super Mario | Nintendo | April 5, 2023 | $1,362,566,989 | Universal Pictures | Animated |
| 2 | 2 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Adventure 2 | Sega | December 20, 2024 | $491,603,986 | Paramount Pictures | Live-action/animated |
| 3 | 1 | Pokémon Detective Pikachu | Detective Pikachu and Pokémon | Nintendo, The Pokémon Company | May 10, 2019 | $450,062,638 | Warner Bros. Pictures | Live-action |
| 4 | 1 | Warcraft | Warcraft | Blizzard Entertainment | June 10, 2016 | $439,048,914 | Universal Pictures | Live-action |
| 5 | 2 | Rampage | Rampage | Midway Games | April 13, 2018 | $428,028,233 | Warner Bros. Pictures | Live-action |
| 6 | 4 | Uncharted | Uncharted | Sony Interactive Entertainment | February 18, 2022 | $407,141,258 | Sony Pictures Releasing | Live-action |
| 7 | 4 | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sega | April 8, 2022 | $405,421,518 | Paramount Pictures | Live-action/animated |
| 8 | 2 | The Angry Birds Movie | Angry Birds | Rovio Entertainment | May 20, 2016 | $352,333,929 | Sony Pictures Releasing | Animated |
| 9 | 1 | Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time | Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time | Ubisoft | May 28, 2010 | $336,365,676 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Live-action |
| 10 | 6 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sega | February 14, 2020 | $320,954,026 | Paramount Pictures | Live-action/animated |
| 11 | 4 | Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | Resident Evil | Capcom | January 27, 2017 | $312,257,250 | Sony Pictures Releasing | Live-action |
| 12 | 1 | A Minecraft Movie | Minecraft | Mojang Studios | April 4th, 2025 | $301,000,000 | Warner Bros. Pictures | Live-action |
| 13 | 2 | Resident Evil: Afterlife | Resident Evil | Capcom | September 10, 2010 | $300,228,084 | Sony Pictures Releasing | Live-action |
| 14 | 12 | Five Nights at Freddy's | Five Nights at Freddy's | ScottGames | October 27, 2023 | $297,144,130 | Universal Pictures | Live-action |
| 15 | 1 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | Tomb Raider | Eidos Interactive | June 15, 2001 | $274,703,340 | Paramount Pictures | Live-action |
The Hollywood Reporter also notes that A Minecraft Movie has not only had the best start of any film this year, but is the biggest domestic launch since Deadpool and Wolverine in July 2024, and the biggest in the history of Warners (not adjusted for inflation).
Warner Bros. Pictures CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy reacted to the news of the movie's success in a statement. "We're absolutely overjoyed A Minecraft Movie has been so warmly received by audiences around the world. A Minecraft Movie's decade-long journey to the screen was overseen with great care by WBP's Jesse Ehrman and his team, and we are thrilled their efforts have resulted in such a tremendous response."
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The initial reviews of A Minecraft Movie last week were better than many expected, with the general consensus being it's pretty much okay – some outlets even went so far as to call it good. The public reaction appeared more positive, as illustrated by the successful box office figures.
As we wrote at the time, Minecraft isn't the first video game movie adaptation with less-than-glowing reviews to do well financially. The top ten highest-grossing films based on video games include Rampage ($428 million), Uncharted ($407 million), and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($336 million), all of which received similar mixed reviews upon their release.