Warner Bros., Legendary and Mojang are heading back to the Overworld with an official name for their next block-built blockbuster: A Minecraft Movie Squared. The sequel is set to arrive in theaters on July 23, 2027, and a new behind-the-scenes clip has now confirmed Kirsten Dunst as Alex, teased a wider look at Minecraft lore and left Matt Berry’s new role just vague enough to send fans into detective mode. Naturally, the internet has accepted the assignment.
What did Minecraft Live reveal about the sequel?
The update is the biggest so far for the follow-up to 2025’s A Minecraft Movie, which turned out to be one of that year’s major family releases. Led by Jack Black and Jason Momoa, the first film earned $958.2 million worldwide and ranked among the three biggest Hollywood blockbusters of 2025, according to Associated Press box-office reporting.
The new footage debuted as part of Minecraft Live and the sequel looks ready to explore more of Mojang’s cubic universe. Jack Black, returning as Steve, said the film includes “a lot of new,” while Danielle Brooks, back as Dawn, said the story will go “so much deeper” into the Minecraft world.
The clip pointed to fresh biomes, characters and mobs, suggesting the sequel may lean more directly into the game’s environments and long-running fan mythology than the first movie did.
Why Kirsten Dunst playing Alex matters
Dunst’s casting as Alex is one of the clearest signs that the films are moving closer to Minecraft itself. Alex is one of the game’s best-known default player skins and has long stood alongside Steve as a central playable avatar.
The character was teased in the first film’s post-credits scene, but A Minecraft Movie Squared appears ready to bring Alex fully into the live-action story for the first time.
Dunst also adds another familiar name to a cast already built for broad audience recognition. She is known for roles in Spider-Man, Jumanji, Marie Antoinette and Civil War. The returning ensemble includes:
- Jason Momoa as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison
- Jack Black as Steve
- Danielle Brooks as Dawn
- Jennifer Coolidge
- Matt Berry
Jared Hess, who directed the first film, is also returning to direct and co-write the screenplay with Chris Galletta.
Is Matt Berry playing Herobrine?
Berry’s appearance in the behind-the-scenes clip has quickly become the most theory-friendly part of the reveal. The actor, who voiced Nitwit in the first movie, shows up in the footage but refuses to say who he is playing this time.
That little bit of secrecy, plus his costume and a joke about Steve’s color palette, has led some Minecraft fans to speculate that Berry could be playing Herobrine. For anyone lucky enough not to have spent years in game-forum folklore, Herobrine is the ghostlike figure from Minecraft urban legend who has circulated in the community for years.
Warner Bros. has not confirmed the theory, and Berry’s character remains officially undisclosed. Which, from a marketing point of view, is probably the most useful kind of answer.
The speculation matters because Herobrine would represent a shift in what the film franchise is willing to use. The first movie focused largely on human characters being pulled into the game’s blocky world. The sequel now seems to be reaching further into Minecraft culture itself, including its mobs, biomes, default characters and unofficial myths.
What does the title A Minecraft Movie Squared suggest?
The title is doing a bit of obvious math. A Minecraft Movie Squared nods to the sequel’s status as the second film while also playing on the square-block look that makes Minecraft instantly recognizable.
The title was confirmed during Minecraft Live at TwitchCon Rotterdam, where production footage showed cast members back on set in New Zealand. The reveal also positioned the sequel as something larger than a simple repeat of the first film’s formula.
That approach makes sense. The first movie proved there was a huge audience for Minecraft on the big screen. The challenge now is whether that audience wants a broader cinematic world, not just another trip through the same portal.
How fans can get involved before release
Mojang also announced a Minecraft Movie Build Challenge tied to the sequel. According to the official Minecraft website, players will be able to create builds within a limited 16x16x32 block space using selected blocks and mobs.
The winning build could appear in the film or in its end credits. The challenge is built around four biomes:
- Plains
- Taiga
- Badlands
- Frozen ocean
That community element is not just decorative. Minecraft’s staying power comes from player creativity, and allowing a fan-made build into the film gives the sequel a direct link to the culture that made the game such a global force in the first place.
It also gives Warner Bros. and Mojang a useful way to keep players engaged during the long wait until July 2027. Convenient, but not meaningless.
What remains unknown about the cast and story
For now, plot details are still being kept quiet. There has been no official confirmation on whether Emma Myers will return as Natalie or whether Sebastian Eugene Hansen will be back as Henry.
Warner Bros. has also not addressed recent online rumors linking Ariana Grande to the project.
What has been made clear is the direction of travel. The sequel is being presented as bigger, more game-focused and more connected to Minecraft’s wider universe than its predecessor.
That arrives at a moment when video-game adaptations remain a major force across film and television. After the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Last of Us and A Minecraft Movie, studios have become increasingly comfortable treating game franchises as premium entertainment property.
With Dunst stepping in as Alex, Berry’s secretive role stirring up Herobrine speculation and the cast promising new mobs, biomes and characters, A Minecraft Movie Squared is shaping up as more than a routine sequel. The film looks set to build outward from the first movie’s box-office success and move deeper into the blocky mythology that has kept Minecraft players creating, debating and occasionally alarming themselves for more than a decade.
