We finally have a release date for the Minecraft movie, but it’s a long way off. Excited? Well, I can understand any trepidation. Video game movies have been around for many years and, by general admission, haven’t really shone at the box office. Take for example a movie like Super Mario Bros., the now-legendary attempt at translating the success of that mustachioed plumber to the big screen that, well, didn’t go over well with anyone. Recently, though, we’ve had a glimmer of hope that movies based on video games are about the get their moment in the sun. Warcraft: The Beginning, for example, might not be doing that well in the States, but it’s tearing the box offices internationally (especially in China). The Angry Birds movie didn’t do that bad either, and the upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie looks promising (fingers crossed). I’m also very curious to see what the Tetris sci-fi trilogy will be like and whether the Fruit Ninja movie will feature both ninjas and fruit.

Seeing the success of anything Minecraft, it’s hard to bet against Warner Bros.’ Minecraft: The Movie. Outside the release date, which was announced on Mojang’s website along with the fact that the movie will come out in 3D and IMAX, we have no further information other than the name of the director – Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame. While many have been wondering what kind of a movie can come out of the sandbox worlds of Minecraft, Telltale has demonstrated how you can weave all kinds of fascinating stories based on the Minecraft universe with its Minecraft: Story Mode (Free) series. And it’s hard to bet against Minecraft being extremely popular even in 3 years from now.