If you think the stock market has been chaos lately, check out what’s been happening in some theaters during screenings of A Minecraft Movie.
Several viral videos have captured audiences of the blockbuster video game adaptation going wild, throwing food and drink, and trashing auditoriums. In one video, somebody was kicked out for holding up a live chicken. Some theaters are issuing warnings, with Cinema United — a trade organization representing thousands of exhibitors across the globe — issuing a memo of voluntary guidelines, including “pre-show announcements” and that if the “situation escalates, local authorities can be called” (reportedly — and in at least one moviegoer’s video — police have been called). Meanwhile, theater workers responsible for cleaning up the messes are saying they’re fed up.
Here’s one of the viral posts (more examples below):
UK chain Cineworld reacted to the mayhem on Instagram, noting that, “clapping, cheering, and shouting ‘I AM STEVE’ is absolutely encouraged,” but adding, “Don’t go full Creeper. No throwing, no mess, and no filming the screen! (That’s piracy, folks.)”
While the film is only rated PG, a New Jersey theater posted a statement on Facebook saying that minors going to the film must be “accompanied by a parent or responsible adult” after an unspecified “unfortunate situation.”
So what is happening here, exactly?
For the uninitiated, A Minecraft Movie follows four misfits who are pulled through a portal into a cubic world and must embark on a quest back to the real world with the help of an expert crafter named Steve (Jack Black). At one point, a baby zombie falls onto the back of a chicken making a “chicken jockey” — an extremely rare occurrence in the game — which prompts fans to erupt with excitement and surprise (to use a different, if equally nerdy, pop culture reference, this is a bit like when Captain America successfully caught Thor’s hammer in Avengers: Endgame).
It seems that once videos of “chicken jockey!” eruptions started going viral on TikTok over the weekend, the trend spread, particularly among teenage boys.
The film has grossed more than $185 million domestically and $380 million globally in just six days — wildly outperforming expectations and even outpacing 2023’s monster video game adaption, The Super Mario Bros. Movie. So far, Warner Bros. hasn’t issued a statement.
Just how far the chaos extends is unclear. None of the country’s three top circuits have issued any warnings, and one top exhibitor says the vast majority of its showings have been without a major incident. That’s not to say there isn’t more cleanup than usual between showings. Part of the problem was that no one knew how big the movie was going to be, so didn’t know how much staff to bring in.
It’s an ironic situation: After months of extremely sluggish box office, with theaters desperate to bring in ticket buyers, one film is getting fans, if anything, too excited.
Theater workers — who, like most service employees, have been wearily dealing with increasing amounts of customer incivility since the pandemic — have been fuming. On the MovieTheaterEmployee subreddit, staffers have been posting anecdotes and photos of epic messes, destroyed property, and even having to call the police (like in the video below).
“The theaters are being ABSOLUTELY TRASHED,” wrote one Apple Cinemas employee. “I see everyone saying to ‘just kick them out,’ which is what we usually do, but the issue is I can never pin point a single person doing it rather the whole theater is collectively talking and being loud (with a few that are almost screaming).”
“Omfg, I thought Wicked was bad but nothing can top what happened with Minecraft,” wrote another. “During one of our shows we had to kick out THIRTY, yes THIRTY, teenage boys.”
“I’ve never had another movie where we constantly had complaints of loud, annoying kids that we had to kick out,” wrote another. “Don’t even get me started on how bad the theaters are to clean. I genuinely hate this movie.”
“It’s genuinely so terrible at our location right now,” wrote another. “We are all stressed out and angry and kind of lashing out at each other because of mistakes being made because of how many customers we have vs. how much staff we have. It’s all so fast paced and stressful. All of us cannot wait for this movie to be gone.”
As for the theater chains themselves, most will likely keep their silence. Sources say they’ve learned from past experience that issuing warnings can backfire and prompt more bad behavior. This included when one circuit asked fans of Minions: The Rise of Gru to stop throwing bananas (talk about a slippery slope!). More recently, AMC asked Wicked fans to not sing along during regular showings. (This, too, backfired.)
A cinema operator tells THR that Cinema United sent a memo this week advising its members how to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience during screenings of Minecraft: “Voluntary measures include pre-show announcements, signage and clear consequences, such as being asked to leave. If the situation escalates, local authorities can be called. And parents should be reminded that certain ages must be accompanied by an adult,” read the memo, obtained by THR. (Cinema United declined to comment.)
While one theater owner who operates a 10-screen movie house in a small town in the Midwest told THR on Thursday that she hasn’t heard of any incident of note during her screenings of Minecraft, which as been a much-needed boon for her. If something happens, she says she’s happy to figure things out.
