The Utah filmmaker who gave the world a guy named Napoleon Dynamite has signed on to direct a movie based on one of the world’s most popular video games.
Jared Hess, who directed the 2004 cult classic “Napoleon Dynamite,” will direct an adaptation of the game “Minecraft” for Warner Bros., The Hollywood Reporter reported Monday. The trade paper also confirmed that Jason Momoa — who plays Aquaman in the DC Comics movies and Duncan Idaho in “Dune” — is in final negotiations to star in the live-action movie.
The game, introduced in 2011, allows players to build structures, objects and complete worlds using blocks. Some 100 million users play the game, which prompted Microsoft to buy acquire its creator, the Swedish company Mojang Studios, for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Hess, a Brigham Young University alum who lives in the Salt Lake City suburbs, hit success in 2004, when the offbeat comedy “Napoleon Dynamite” — which he co-wrote with his wife, Jerusha — became a surprise hit. The story of a high-school outcast in his “Vote For Pedro” t-shirt (played by the Hesses’ BYU classmate, Jon Heder) turned into a cultural icon, and famously confounded Netflix’s recommendation algorithm.
Hess’ other films as director are the Jack Black vehicle “Nacho Libre,” the strange comedy “Gentlemen Broncos,” the religious satire “Don Verdean” and the heist comedy “Masterminds.” Last year, Hess and Utah filmmaker Tyler Measom co-directed a documentary series for Netflix, “Murder Among the Mormons,” which chronicled the crimes of forger and bomber Mark Hofmann.
Hess isn’t the first director who has been attached to “Minecraft” in the many years Warner Bros. has tried to develop the film. Among the other directors who had been in the mix, according to The Hollywood Reporter, are Shawn Levy (“Free Guy”) and Rob McElhenney (one of the stars of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”).
No word on when the movie starts shooting, or when it is scheduled to be released.
