Minecraft launcher stuck at 0B / 1B and refuses to stop updating

Whenever I open the minecraft launcher it refuses to let me open the game because it says "downloading 0B / 1B" and does not complete the task. This is very frustrating as I just want to play minecraft. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the launcher multiple times yet to no avail. (This however does not happen on the old launcher which is very strange.)