A Minecraft Movie has hit cinemas and is already being hailed as a box office smash, but one particular scene involving the “Chicken Jockey” is causing chaos in some theaters.
Why It Matters
A Minecraft Movie was released this past Friday and is the first-ever big-screen adaptation of the world’s best-selling video game, which had 200 million monthly active players in December 2024, according to Demand Sage, a data reporting and analytics solutions provider.
The film follows Garrett ‘The Garbage Man’ Garrison (Jason Momoa), Natalie (Emma Myers), Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) as they try to save The Overworld from Malgosha, an evil pig sorceress. They’re joined in their quest by Minecraftmegafan Steve (Jack Black).
What To Know
One scene in the film has sparked chaos in cinemas in the United States and the United Kingdom, with social media users sharing the raucous response online.
In the film, Black and Momoa are faced by a cuboid Minecraft chicken who is ridden around a boxing ring by a baby zombie. In response, Black’s character then exclaims “Chicken jockey,” which sent audiences into a frenzy.
A chicken jockey is a Minecraft character, where a baby zombie (or other game variants) rides a chicken and is a rare and powerful character.
Videos on X, formerly Twitter, have captured cinemagoers going wild as they chant the line and applaud. Footage on X has also shown food and popcorn being thrown across the audience, along with loud swearing and people jumping out of their seats. Young people and children are shown laughing with their phones out as they capture the chaos.
One X user shared a picture of a warning at a cinema, which read: “We know the Chicken Jockey is epic – but… please don’t throw popcorn or soft drinks at the screen.” The picture had the text overlay, “Nah.” The post has been viewed 4.9 million times as of early Monday afternoon.
There have been reports of police being called to cinemas as well.
A TikTok video from @salesmenpod, which has over 15 million views, shows police walking into the theater after moviegoers went crazy after hearing the “chicken jockey” line. Police were then seen escorting some teenagers out of the movie.
One cinema in the town of Fareham in the U.K. issued a warning and said it was increasing its monitoring of screens during the movie and that “anyone causing disruption will be asked to leave, and where necessary, the police will be called,” according to the local newspaper the Daily Echo.
X user Loke shared footage captured from outside of a theater, writing: “Happened to overhear a Chicken Jockey moment.” In the video, people can be heard shouting and cheering. This post has received over 1 million views as of press time.
What People Are Saying
One X user wrote on the social media platform: “the minecraft movie is truly one of the worst movies i’ve ever seen but the universal reaction to ‘chicken jockey’ i’m seeing made it all worth it.”
Another X user wrote: “People at the cinema are going crazy over the new Minecraft movie like it’s the end of Avengers Endgame.”
One TikTok user wrote: “I hate that people are defending this behavior you go to a cinema to watch a movie not to be a nuisance to others.”
A second TikTok user wrote: “there’s no need for people to act like this over a film scene. it’s so annoying and makes it impossible to watch the movie.”
What Happens Next?
A Minecraft Movie is the biggest opening of 2025 so far and is currently in theaters.
“A Minecraft Movie” posted is seen at Hollywood & Highland on April 4 in California.
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
