The Minecraft movie is still more than two years away, but some casting news has emerged. It has been reported that Steve Carell is in talks to star in the big screen version of the hugely popular game.

According to Variety, Carell is in discussions with Warner to join the film’s ensemble cast. Although the studio declined to comment on the story, Variety did note that the studio was “getting close” to signing the star. Carell is best known for his comedic roles in the likes of The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, as well as his Oscar-nominated dramatic turn in Foxcatcher.
Minecraft will be directed by It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney. It is set for release on May 24, 2019 in both 3D and IMAX.
In an interview with Collider earlier this year, producer Roy Lee explained that game developers Mojang were heavily involved with the film’s pre-production. “They know everything [that] is going to be in the movie, and that can give us insight into future updates,” he said. “We can put things into the movie around the same time they relaunch newer versions of the game, and at the same time, potentially taking ideas from the movie and putting them into the game.
“So I don’t know exactly what things are going into the game, but they know exactly what’s going into the movie.”
Lee also hinted at the direction that they were going with the film’s story, and gave an indication of its target audience. “Minecraft would be part of a multiverse that humans can enter, that has the feel of a live-action version of a Minecraft experience,” he said. “[We’re going for] the same target audience as Jurassic World.”