Director Shawn Levy exits ‘Minecraft’ movie

Filmmaker Shawn Levy has packed up his building blocks and parted ways with Warner Bros’ movie project based on the popular online video game Minecraft.

The studio had tapped Levy to develop and direct a film inspired by the game back in October, but the Night at the Museum and Real Steel director told the Los Angeles Times in a recent interview that Minecraft won’t be his next movie after all.

“A writing team and I had developed a whole take on Minecraft, and it did not fit with what the game makers want for their brand,” Levy said. “I felt we had a good approach. It didn’t sync up with what the manufacturers want. That’s completely their prerogative. It’s their massively successful company.”

Warner Bros will likely move quickly to find a new director for the film, which is on the fast track.

Created by the Swedish programmer Markus “Notch” Persson in 2011, Minecraft is a game in which players create avatars, roam around, collect material, create tools and edifices, and survive monsters and other perils.

It’s no wonder that Warner Bros is bullish on the property: Minecraft is played by tens of millions of children and adults worldwide. In September, Microsoft shelled out $2.5 billion (Dh9.1 billion) to acquire Minecraft maker Mojang.

With its blocky 8-bit aesthetic and open-ended (that is, nonexistent) plot, Minecraft also recalls The Lego Movie, one of Warner’s biggest box-office successes this year.

As for Levy’s next moves, he’s developing a Tinker Bell comedy with Melissa McCarthy and an Ali Baba retelling called Forty Thieves. His next movie, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, hits theatres on December 19.