E-Paper
Why A Minecraft Movie saw police in theatres for 'disruptions'; still beat Barbie, Oppenheimer with $300-million opening
UK and US cinemas are fighting the viral 'chicken jockey' trend associated with A Minecraft Movie, which continues to break box office records regardless.
The lull that Hollywood had been seeing since the beginning of 2025 has ended. The box office is alive again, and it's all thanks to an unlikely hit. A Minecraft Movie, based on the popular video game, has just delivered the biggest opening weekend of the year. And it has done so despite controversies that saw police being called to several theatres in the US and UK.
A Minecraft Movie box office collection
A Minecraft Movie, a Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. film based on the namesake video game, opened at No. 1 in US and Canadian theaters this weekend, marking the biggest debut this year. The picture, co-produced by Legendary Entertainment, minted $163 million in North America, Warner Bros. said Monday in a statement. This was 70-90% highest than industry tracker Box Office Pro’s forecast of $85 million to $100 million. The film took in an additional $150.7 million in theatres internationally, making it a $313-million opening weekend for the action-adventure. In the UK, the film had an “extraordinary (and unexpected) £15 million opening weekend”, according to the UK Cinema Association.
A Minecraft Movie, which stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen, has eclipsed the opening weekend collections of blockbusters like Barbie ($155 million), Inside Out 2 ($154 million), Oppenheimer ($80 million), and is just level with Wicked ($164 million).
Estimates for the movie soared last week based on advanced ticket-buying data. The live-action comedy and fantasy picture stars Jack Black and Jason Momoa as misfits pulled into a cubic world based on the game.
A Minecraft Movie causes pandemonium in theatres
However, the film has started an unwanted trend on both sides of the Atlantic. UK cinemas have pleaded with audiences to stop throwing popcorn and disrupting screenings of the film after a TikTok trend around the hit video game-based film went viral. The trend involves young audience members raucously shouting, applauding and throwing fistfuls of popcorn in the movie theatre when actor Jack Black shouts the phrase "chicken jockey" on screen.
The cryptic phrase refers to a Minecraft character -- a baby zombie sat atop a chicken -- which rarely appears in the cult video game but makes a cameo in the new movie. Multiple UK cinemas warned viewers to behave during screenings or risk being removed.
UK chain REEL Cinemas said it was "increasing our monitoring of screens", adding that "disruptive behaviour, including taking part in TikTok trends... will not be tolerated". In several parts of the US, police officers had to arrive at screenings and ask viewers to not ‘disrupt’ the screenings, as per reports.
One cinema run by Cineworld in Oxfordshire put up a notice saying "anti-social behaviour" including "loud screaming, clapping and shouting will not be tolerated".
What is the chicken jockey trend?
The TikTok trend went viral after fans picked out the infamous line from the trailer and began poking fun at Black's delivery, prompting rowdy reactions when it was played on the big screen.
Based on the wildly popular video game where players build a three-dimensional world, A Minecraft Movie met with poor critic reviews, but has proved a smash-hit at the box office.
(With agencies inputs)
