'We were old school': A Minecraft Movie's Jared Hess denies using AI to enhance his film adaptation of Mojang's very popular sandbox game

Natalie, Dawn, Henry, and Garrett standing in an Overworld village in A Minecraft Movie
No, A Minecraft Movie's creative team didn't use artificial intelligence to enhance the film (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess has given short shrift to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry.

Speaking to TechRadar ahead of the film's release on April 4, Hess revealed that AI wasn't used at any point during A Minecraft Movie's development. However, he admitted that its wide-ranging application throughout the movie- and TV-making business was inevitable, even though it can't – and likely won't – come close to replicating the creativity that human artists, animators, voice actors, and other talented industry folk possess in abundance.

"We didn't use it as part of development," Hess emphatically replied when I asked if he leaned on AI during production on one of 2025's new movies. "We were old school, so we used human artists with awesome brains and imaginations.

I just hope AI is used as a tool and not as a shortcut

Jared Hess, A Minecraft Movie director

"Look, AI is going to affect every aspect of life, including entertainment," he continued. "I just hope it's used as a tool and not as a shortcut. Again, the human experience is so critical to all forms of art, and that kind of nuance and voice and perspective is something that AI can't replicate. It's currently able to imitate things, sure, but I'm always just going to gravitate toward the human [experience] wherever I can."

AI's application in the entertainment business has exploded over the past year. From its controversial use in Oscar-nominated flick like The Brutalist and its fellow Academy Award nominee Emilia Perez, to its multifaceted application on some of the world's best streaming services, artificial intelligence's influence on Hollywood will only grow from here.

As Hess said, here's hoping it's implemented in the correct manner and at the right time, rather than being mishandled in order to replace the human workforce and human invention as we know it.

'I wanted to barf my brains out!'

A wolf howling on a hill with a full moon in the background in A Minecraft Movie

Jared Hess had a hard time using one piece of technology during the movie's development (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

Warner Bros' take on Mojang Studios' universally popular Minecraft sandbox video game benefitted from the use of other forms of technology, though. There was one particular piece of virtual reality (VR) tech that Hess says he "couldn't handle", too, because of how nauseating it felt.

"We actually used Minecraft VR," he told me. "We also had this thing called the virtual art department. It was based in Unreal Engine, and allowed us to physically drop ourselves into Minecraft's Overworld and the Nether to set up shots, position cameras, and work out how to film in this environment.

"I remember that the crew brought me some VR goggles and, dude, I wanted to barf my brains out!" he added with a laugh. "I'm not meant for VR – I couldn't handle it. So, I just said to my team 'pass me a controller [and] let's do this old school on an Xbox console!'"

Be sure to keep an eye out for my review of A Minecraft Movie later today (April 2) to see whether it's worth watching when the film arrives in theaters. In the meantime, read more coverage of A Minecraft Movie, plus some other intriguing articles of mine, below.

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Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

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