If you haven’t seen “A Minecraft Movie” yet and are planning on dropping by a movie theater to see the hit film, you might want to wear some protective gear. We’ll explain why with some help from a film critic.
For those unfamiliar with Minecraft, it is a video game that created by Swedish programmer Markus Persson in 2009. Over more than two decades, the game has become a huge hit, and Persson eventually sold his software company and the game to Microsoft for $2.5 billion, per Biogrpahy.com.
Players can build things in the “sandbox style” game such as houses, cities and more. According to a description of the live action “A Minecraft Movie” from Warner Bros., it follows “four misfits” played by Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers and Danielle Brooks who are pulled through a mysterious portal into the bizarre, cube-like world of the game.
“To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter,” played by Jack Black, Warner Bros. said of the film. “Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative… the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.”
That all seems well and good. However, the opening of the film has brought more than an estimated $336 million worldwide (based on statistics from Box Office Mojo). It’s brought a messy phenomenon to theaters.
Movie critic Rusty Gatenby filled in Vineeta Sawkar of Audacy station WCCO News Talk in the Twin Cities on the situation this week.
“There’s a moment in the movie – about three-fourths of the way through – where a… you know, in this weird, odd world of Minecraft… here a little monster beast that looks like a Frankenstein jumps on a little square block-looking chicken and Jack Black yells ‘chicken jockey,’ and that’s the que for all the fans to jump up and scream and throw their popcorn like a young ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’,” he said, referring to the camp classic known for its audience participation-style midnight screenings.
Yahoo!Entertainment also reported on the trend, and added that “chicken jockey” has become a viral phrase on social media. It said TikTok videos appear to show “chicken jockey” inspired pandemonium breaking out at theaters across the country.
“The Chicken Jockey scene was turned into a meme in late February and early March 2025, following the final trailer’s release,” said KnowYourMeme, which noted that several of the film’s lines have already been memed. “Meme creators on TikTok, Twitter / X and YouTube reedited the scene, adjusting the speed and subverting the bluntness of the announcement.”
Gatenby recommended that theaters hire an extra janitor for showings of the film. Viewers should prepare to have a few kernels in their hair by the time the credits roll.