It's a Minecraft World, and We're Just Creepers

Minecraft is the world’s best-selling video game of all time. Since its release more than a decade ago, it has become a staple among gamers, streamers, and Gen Z.

For the first time, the popular video game was adapted into a feature film that hit theaters on April 4 — and it is a big deal. With a cast led by Jack Black and an estimated budget of $150 million, the fantasy adventure comedy film elevates the legendary video game to another dimension.

While the green pixelated sandbox game has been exceptionally well-known since 2011 among gamers, the rest of the world is sure to catch up with the smattering of ultimate brand deals and collaborations, merchandise drops, and product launches filling the internet and store shelves. 

From the characters’ faces plastered on Poppi beverage displays at Target stores and electronic subway ads during the busy Manhattan commuting hours to deliverable meal kits and dyed-green milk on supermarket shelves, A Minecraft Movie and its licensed merch effects are at every turn. 

The film’s vast portfolio of licensing deals has Hanna Willis, head of consumer products for Minecraft, and the rest of her team working nonstop.

“We’re immensely proud of how far the Minecraft brand has grown and the deep connection fans have with it,” Willis says. “This has allowed us to build a dynamic and expansive licensing program that brings A Minecraft Movie to life in exciting ways — whether through collectibles, apparel, or home decor.”

Hallmark, known for its keepsake Christmas ornaments and greeting cards, is in on the action, knowing that the reality of A Minecraft Movie is making waves beyond the gaming universe — or rather, maybe the gaming universe is making waves in the actual universe.

The company’s Minecraft offerings range from a Minecraft Creeper Mug that makes actual game sounds ($34.99) to a Minecraft Valentine’s Classroom Set, complete with a Valentine’s receiving box and cards to pass to classmates ($9.99). In traditional Hallmark fashion, a variety of Minecraft greeting and birthday cards are available in addition to two Minecraft holiday ornaments. A customizable Christmas ornament of a pixelated scene from Minecraft costs $25.99, paying a festive homage to the game and film. 

“We always try to get the products right for fans no matter what the content. We align designers who are passionate about those brands to work on them,” says Hallmark’s Licensing Creative Strategist Christine Taylor. “Our Minecraft partners have certain standards and guidelines, however, they also are very open to us creating a bespoke line of products for our consumers within those constraints. We did have a few people working on the products whose kids were fans, and the kids shared insights on their favorite things about the game.” 

Collectors, players, video game lovers, and fans everywhere have something to take from this beast of a merch lineup. Mattel’s collection of plush and action figures based on the film bring the wacky fun to the toy box. The company’s Minecraft Steve 12-inch Large Scale Action Figure, which depicts the likeness of Black as his character Steve from the film, sold out quickly and sparked a social media frenzy.

The LEGO Group released two sets featuring scenes and characters from A Minecraft Movie, including the 491-piece LEGO A Minecraft Movie Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring. This set includes a Jason Mamoa minifigure riding a chicken and fighting a baby zombie, bringing the now iconic “chicken jockey” scene to the toy box. The Ghast Balloon Village Attack set is slightly larger, with 555 pieces, complete with a disc-shooting Ghast Balloon, also seen in the film. 00

The merchandise and product licensing goes beyond the classic staples of keepsakes, collectors items, and toys.

TruMoo dyed its classic half-gallon of milk the signature Minecraft green; Pillsbury is selling cookie dough that features a Creeper’s face on each piece; and Poppi, an alternative soda brand marketed toward health-conscious millennials and Gen Z, offered limited-edition four-packs of classic flavors with A Minecraft Movie characters on the packaging.

Home Chef, a deliverable meal ingredient kit service for busy individuals and families, Minecraft-ified some of its meal kits with a full menu of themed entrees.

“We certainly had to take a different approach to menu development, as we typically reference written recipes, not pixelated food,” says Rosa Rumora, senior analyst of recipe testing at Home Chef. “However, there are a lot of unique food moments to pull from the game, which we know [Minecraft fans] will appreciate. Some members of Home Chef’s culinary team are avid players, so they were able to contribute gameplay knowledge and references. [Research and development] brainstorming was, predictably, a playful process. It frankly involved quite a bit of gaming.”

The meals include ingredients that players collect in the game, and all of the final entrees have a quirky Minecraft feel. The “Crafter’s BBQ Turkey Meatloaf” recipe calls for you to serve it in the same shape as Minecraft building blocks. The “Furnace-Fried Chicken Nuggets” feel like something gamers would cook over the pixelated fire in the video game. The “Villager’s Beef Shepherd's Pie” has “foraged potatoes” listed as the main ingredient, one of the most common crops in the Minecraft villages. 

“[Making the menu] meant exploring different biomes from which to collect resources, then following Minecraft recipes to craft, smelt, and brew new items for inspiration,” Rumora says. “We wanted to earnestly integrate elements that would help tell a story that is familiar to the Minecraft fanbase while also providing approachable meal formats for customers who are less familiar with the game.” 

Sometimes, the strategy is as simple as brands wanting to work with cool things, and Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time with its first film release, is simply that: cool. It is all about customization and building something unique, and the merch available to fans reflects just that.