Consider Kirsten Dunst the ultimate manifestor. Last summer, the Oscar-nominated actress joked about wanting to join the cast of the “Minecraft Movie” sequel because her kids loved the first one, plus the paycheck wouldn’t hurt. “Maybe I can just make a movie where I don’t lose money?” she quipped to Town & Country. Well, back up the Brink’s truck because Dunst has officially joined the cast of the yet-to-be-titled “Minecraft” sequel from Warner Bros. and Legendary.
“A Minecraft Movie,” headlined by Jack Black and Jason Momoa, dominated the spring box office in 2025; the PG adventure debuted to a record $163 million domestic opening and has since grossed $424 million, with a worldwide total approaching $1 billion. Danielle Brooks, Matt Berry and Jennifer Coolidge also star in the movie, based on the massively popular video game, and will return for the sequel. Jared Hess is returning to direct the movie and will co-write the screenplay with Chris Galletta. Warner Bros. teased that plot details, including Dunst’s role, “remain deep in the mine” for now. The studio has dated the sequel for release on July 23, 2027. For Dunst’s part, she’s always found a balance between auteur-driven cinema and populist entertainment, with a 40-title filmography that ranges from her collaborations with Sofia Coppola (“The Virgin Suicides,” “Marie Antoinette” and “The Beguiled) to pop culture hits like “Bring It On,” “Drop Dead Gorgeous” and “Jumanji” and superhero fare like Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy. Dunst most recently starred in Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman,” Alex Garland’s “Civil War” and Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” a performance for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination. She will next be seen in Ruben Östlund’s “Entertainment System is Down.” Upcoming films include Alejandro Landes Echavarría’s “Reptilia,” opposite Mikey Madison, as well as Flora Birnbaum’s debut feature, “Self Help,” produced by Jessica Elbaum and Will Ferrell.
She is repped by Entertainment 360, UTA, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox, LLP. Producers for the “Minecraft” sequel include Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Roy Lee, Eric McLeod, Kayleen Walters, Torfi Frans Ólafsson, Momoa and the late Jill Messick. Executive producers are Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy, Brian Mendoza, Jon Berg and Jonathan Spaihts. Deadline first reported Dunst’s casting.