Chris Galletta '10 Returns to Co-Write 'A Minecraft Sequel'

Coming off the heels of the massive blockbuster A Minecraft Movie, Film alum Chris Galletta '10 has been announced as the co-writer of the next film in the series, A Minecraft Sequel. The information was shared when Warner Bros. recently released its 2027 lineup of films at the CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The film, which will soon start production, is set to release on July 23, 2027.

"Bro, end of April. They’re in it. The script is even better. It’s so good, I was laughing out loud. I haven’t laughed out loud in a very long time at a script," actor Jason Momoa, who stars as Garrett 'The Garbage Man' in the series, told late night host Jimmy Fallon.

A Minecraft Movie's breakout success revived the Warner Bros. studio after a dry spell, resonating with audiences and especially with the original video game's devoted following. 

"It’s great having such a smart and funny and engaged fan base. We feel really fortunate the first movie clicked with them and that they wanted to go on a ride that was kind of absurd but also clearly adoring of the game and of the community. So we never want to let them down," Galletta said. "We’re hoping the second movie delivers on and exceeds everything they might expect or hope for—a lot of loving references and also some fun twists."

While the Minecraft franchise is geared toward kids and families, the story techniques Galletta learned and practiced at Columbia lend a universal structure to his scripts, one that can appeal to audiences of all ages.

"The story-first approach of the Film program has been great training for all kinds of films. The movies happen to be big family comedies, but they still need to be quests and adventures, and the characters still have to want things that the audience wants for them. So it’s always helpful to ground scenes in a perspective and ask, within the context of the story and the movie’s tone, how this or that character would really feel. Columbia was always rigorous about that sort of thing—I’ve tried to carry it with me."

While Galletta was able to tap into the story-first approach he practiced at Columbia, he was also supported by the team at Mojang Studios, which produces the Minecraft video game, who shared the Minecraft world's deep lore with the screenwriting team.

"We have awesome collaborators at Mojang, our resident Minecraft wizards that can answer the deepest and most arcane questions."

Galletta's unique task adapting a video game franchise for film means he must understand what audiences fell in love with and be able to translate that magic into another medium.

"I think [Minecraft's] openness and boundlessness is one of the things that makes it so special—the mixture of being able to truly go anywhere and do anything you think of—pretty much in the moment—is something few games have achieved. It’s also chock full of fun details and it’s kind of a culture unto itself," Galletta said. "So coming up with Easter eggs in the movie—visual gags and phrases—is a lot of fun. Because there is such a treasure trove.

"I personally love the general Medieval flavor, and llamas, Nitwits and polar bears," he added.

Chris Galletta (SOA ’10) began his career as a monologue writer for The Late Show with David Letterman.  He is the screenwriter of the Sundance coming-of-age comedy The Kings of Summer, and Warner Bros/Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie, starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Danielle Brooks, and directed by Jared Hess.  

Also a frequent contributor to The American Bystander humor magazine, Chris lives in a small beach town in New Jersey.

This year, the School of the Arts announced that Galletta is among the alums honored with Columbia University Film Festival's Andrew Sarris Award, which recognizes one distinguished alum's outstanding artistic achievement each year. Past winners include such groundbreaking artists as Kathryn Bigelow '81, Jennifer Lee '05, Greg Mottola '91 and Annemarie Jacir '02.