'A Minecraft Movie' director calls Jason Momoa a 'big dork'
He dishes on the all-star cast, including Jack Black and Jennifer Cooldige.
LOS ANGELES -- He's played an Atlantean superhero, a Dothraki chieftain, a Ginaz Swordmaster and now he's... Garrett "The Garbageman" Garrison.
Jason Momoa stars alongside Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge in "A Minecraft Movie," a live-action film based on the wildly popular Minecraft video game.
On The Red Carpet sat down with director Jared Hess and producer Torfi Frans Ólafsson to discuss the all-star cast.
"Did you know Jason Momoa would be this funny?" we asked.
"Yes," Hess responded immediately. "When you meet Jason, beneath that ocean of muscle that is him, he's just a big dork! And, so we really wanted to capture that side of him."
Momoa's Garrett Garrison strays from his typical, brooding roles. He sports a pink leather jacket, a comical ringer tee and a Dad bod, proudly noting he was "Gamer of the Year, 1989."
Hess continued, "You just see him kick butt in so many movies, and he's larger than life. And it was like, 'Man, it would be so great to see him get the crap beaten out of him in Minecraft.'"
In the film, Momoa and the crew land in the Minecraft "Overworld," where Steve (Black), an eccentric survival expert, becomes their guide.
"Before we started the movie, they definitely had like, secret crushes on each other," said Hess, explaining through a couple of (pretty good) Jack Black and Jason Momoa impressions how the two were fans of each other.
"I'm kind of nervous to be working with him," Momoa told the director.
"Dude, you guys are going to love each other," he responded.
Their chemistry is apparent on screen, and that's not the only pair getting along!
In "A Minecraft Movie," Coolidge finds herself hitting a Minecraft villager with her car and falling in love.
"Jennifer Coolidge can be dropped into anything, and it's comedy gold. She can do no wrong. She's an absolute goddess, like she's just so funny," Hess said.
"There was a major problem on set, because the cast and crew, who are usually professionals, could not stop laughing," Ólafsson confessed. "Like, could not stop laughing, especially when Jared let (Coolidge) loose, and she started improvising. It was so hilarious!"
"Unfortunately, not all of it was PG rated, so we had to cut it, but it was good stuff," he added.
"A Minecraft Movie" is playing in theaters.
