A Minecraft Movie Sparks Chaos in Theaters, ‘CHICKEN JOCKEY!’ Screams, and Even Reports of Cops Being Called

A Minecraft Movie had a massive opening weekend at the box office and sparked pandemonium inside theaters, with popcorn being thrown, wild “CHICKEN JOCKEY!” screams, and even reports of police being called. But some are saying their experience was ruined by the chaos.

Social media was flooded with videos showing overly enthusiastic cinemagoers screaming lines from the movie, openly filming with their phones, throwing popcorn, and clapping rowdily.

One phrase in particular has risen to the top of the social media pile: “CHICKEN JOCKEY!” Jack Black, who plays Minecraft’s famous playable character, Steve, says the line in the movie, and videos of screenings that took place over the weekend show it is sending teens delirious.

The line is said during a scene in which Black and Jason Momoa face a cuboid Minecraft chicken who is ridden by a baby zombie in a boxing ring. Black’s Steve declares “CHICKEN JOCKEY!” after the baby zombie falls from a crate onto the chicken; a reference to the video game itself, where certain baby zombie characters are sometimes found riding a chicken.

Given these fans had already seen the chicken jockey scene via a Minecraft trailer released in February, they were primed for release when they saw the movie in the cinema. And now, the chicken jockey line has taken on a life of its own, going viral on social media which in turn is fueling even more intense reaction.

One person who filmed the reaction, X / Twitter user @ollie_twt, described the scenes: “the people behind me took their shirts off as well as the ones in the front that were standing. That was by far the loudest theater I’ve ever been in and it was awesome.”

One Tik-Tok video viewed by IGN shows a person carrying another on their shoulders, mimicking the chicken jockey itself. Another video, below, shows a teen standing ready to throw two popcorn buckets over the audience during the chicken jockey scene.

Another shows similar popcorn-throwing scenes:

There are even reports of police being called to eject members of the audience, and complaints from theater employees who have taken to social media and online forums to say people throwing drinks and popcorn makes their jobs even harder.

While it’s clear a significant portion of the Minecraft movie audience is loving all the chaos, there are a number of fans who have expressed frustration that their experience was ruined by all the shouting and clapping.

Then there are the bemused audience members who aren’t in on the joke. Parents taking their young children, friends and family members who aren’t as… online as the rest of us.

Warner Bros. will no doubt be delighted by the virality of A Minecraft Movie, of course, as it heads into its second weekend. It’s already secured an incredible $301 million during opening weekend. Could it eventually beat The super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time?

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.