Minecraft, the children’s movie based on a massively popular videogame of the same name, has turned into a social media sensation—so much so that police had to be called to at least one theater after things got out of hand.
The live-action adaptation didn’t just draw fans of the game—it sparked a viral TikTok trend now known as “Chicken Jockey.” The trend revolves around a specific scene in which Jason Momoa enters a boxing ring to battle a video game chicken.
Highlights
- Police were called to a screening of 'A Minecraft Movie' due to rowdy teenagers.
- TikTok trend involves audiences loudly reacting to videogame references found in the film.
- Cinema chains have warned against the disruptive trend during screenings.
- Minecraft movie achieved a massive $313 million global box office opening.
Before the bout begins, a crate hanging from the ring’s ceiling opens, freeing a baby zombie who lands on top of the chicken, forming a creature known in the video game as a “Chicken Jockey.”
The reference made fans go wild, to the point that their screams clamoring for the character were heard through the theater aisles—much to the annoyance of the adult audience.
Police were called to a Minecraft: The Movie screening, after rowdy teenagers following an online trend made the film “unwatchable”
Image credits: Warner Bros.
For the uninitiated, Minecraft is a best-selling video game known for its blocky, Lego-like graphics and open-world gameplay. The game allows players to build anything from castles to rollercoasters using textured cubes, all while surviving attacks from monsters like skeletons and zombies.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
The game has broken multiple records, selling an astounding 300 million copies since its release in May 2009.
In a similar fashion, the movie has obliterated expectations, opening to a massive $163 million domestically and $313 million globally, effectively becoming 2025's biggest debut and most successful videogame-to-movie adaptation ever.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
The craze reached such a fever pitch that REEL Cinemas, a theater chain in England, issued a statement warning moviegoers not to take part in the trend.
According to a spokesperson, the chain would be “increasing [their] monitoring of screens during performances” and emphasized that “disruptive behavior, including taking part in TikTok trends, before, during, or after a screening [would] not be tolerated.”
REEL Cinemas also threatened to involve the police if necessary, a measure that other chains appeared to follow as one video, uploaded earlier today (April 7), shows police interrupting a screening due to teenagers throwing popcorn and becoming physically rowdy during the scene.
Angry moviegoers have complained about younger audiences constantly screaming and throwing popcorn during the movie
Image credits: SucumbaGames
Despite the movie receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences, the younger generation of moviegoers has managed to turn the film into an experience—just not one everyone else might be interested in.
As Bored Panda previously reported, ever since the film’s theatrical release last Friday (April 4), several moviegoers have taken to social media to complain about the noisy, unpredictable, and, at times, physically violent crowds.
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“My friends and I had our whole experience ruined by kids yelling ‘absolute cinema’ and quoting the movie non-stop,” one user tweeted, echoing the sentiments of many who feel the movie has been rendered “unwatchable” by its viral quality.
Image credits: SucumbaGames
“My theater clapped every time Jack Black name-dropped a Minecraft item,” another said.
A similar tweet shows a clip recorded outside one of the showings, with popcorn littering the aisle and constant screaming being heard from behind the door.
The movie’s faithfulness to the source material has been cited as a major contributing factor to its success
Image credits: Warner Bros.
Not all reactions have been negative, however, as some users have praised the movie for its unapologetic focus on gaming culture, fully embracing the lore of the game it was based on and delivering a respectful adaptation full of references that fans of the franchise have loved.
“It was awesome seeing these younger kids and teens have so much fun at the theatre! It reminded me of how going to the movies used to and should be!” one user wrote.
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Image credits: Warner Bros.
Rodrigo Manriquez, a former content editor at ETC, a media brand focusing on kids and teenagers, explained the movie’s success as the result of being tied to a “generational IP,” whose fame grew right under most adults’ noses in the gaming and streaming worlds.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
“The game consistently ranks in Twitch’s top 10 most-streamed games and boasts a fanbase of over 200 million active players. So it was only a matter of time before Hollywood found a way to bring it to the big screen,” he added.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
“You can tell there was a genuine effort to capture everything people love about the game and translate it to the big screen.”
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According to Manriquez, the film comes at a time when creativity in the movie industry is “running dry.”
“Disney failed to win over audiences with Captain America: Brave New World and the flop that was Snow White,” he pointed out. “Minecraft set a new standard, much like the Super Mario Bros. movie did.”
"It's not just about buying the rights and making a movie—you need to understand the game, capture its essence, and bring out the values that make it appealing," the editor explained.
Manriquez nevertheless recognized that the main challenge in productions such as this is achieving an experience that’s fun for both kids and adults—a balance that Minecraft has shown is not so easy to achieve.
"It was a great time!" Despite complaints, many viewers were happy that the movie allowed their children to have fun
