'I've Seen Monkeys Behave More Civilised': How The 'Chicken Jockey Minecraft Movie' Trend Is Putting Local Cinemas At Risk

Cinemas across the UK are under siege from an unexpected menace — a viral TikTok trend dubbed the 'Chicken Jockey Minecraft Movie' craze. Inspired by a chaotic scene in the new Minecraft film, where Jack Black shouts 'Chicken jockey!' as a mini-zombie rides in on a chicken, young audiences have taken to loudly cheering, throwing popcorn, and causing general mayhem during screenings.

Some venues have even compared the unruly antics to scenes out of Chester Zoo, warning moviegoers they'll be removed if they participate in the disruptive fad.

What Is The 'Chicken Jockey Minecraft Movie' Trend?

The 'chicken jockey' trend has exploded in popularity on TikTok, leading numerous movie theatres worldwide to implement steps to handle unruly conduct during screenings of the video game adaptation.

Movie Theaters Fight Back Against Minecraft Mayhem

Several UK cinemas, such as Cineworld in Witney, the Radway in Sidmouth, and the Reel venues in Fareham and Rochdale, have put up signs alerting moviegoers not to cause disturbances during showings of A Minecraft Movie.

Meanwhile, the Regent Cinema in Newtown, Wales, announced it would take a 'zero-tolerance approach,' halting screenings if audiences become too disruptive.

A movie attendee in Newtown shared with the Powys County Times: 'Quite honestly, I've seen monkeys at Chester Zoo behave more civilised than those at the 1.45 pm showing on Saturday.' The Witney branch of Cineworld stated that those causing trouble would be removed.

'Any form of antisocial behaviour, especially anything that may disturb other guests, such as loud screaming, clapping and shouting will not be tolerated. Anyone who is found to be acting in this manner will be removed from the screening and not entitled to a refund,' Witney Cineworld said.

The Radway Cinema in Sidmouth shared a comparable alert on its social media account: 'Anyone found taking part in the current social media trend involving A Minecraft Movie will be removed from the cinema. We wish for our customers to enjoy the experience they have paid for.' The Reel in Rochdale said the police would be called where necessary.

Cineworld's Solution: Embrace The Chaos (Sometimes)

Cineworld, a major cinema group in the UK, is trying to guide more enthusiastic Minecraft followers toward uniquely arranged viewings. They have announced 'one-off' showings this weekend, offering moviegoers the opportunity to wear Minecraft costumes and 'let your hair down,' even encouraging them to 'shouting "chicken jockey" as you see fit!' during these events.

However, the company requested that individuals attending the screenings on 13 April in its 4DX format – which features effects like flashing lights and moving chairs – refrain from going 'full creeper,' referencing a dangerous character in the Minecraft game that can harm or eliminate players. 'No mess please, just good clean fun,' Cineworld said in a statement promoting the special screenings.

Disruptions Lead To Warnings And Bans

In the US, the Township Theatre in Washington, New Jersey, banned unaccompanied minors from attending screenings of the film after what it called an 'unfortunate situation' on 4 April.

'Large groups of unsupervised boys engaged in completely unacceptable behaviour, including vandalism ... Moving forward: Any minors wishing to see The Minecraft Movie MUST be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Unaccompanied groups of boys will not be admitted,' the Township Theatre said in a social media post.

'If your son was at Township theatre last night, we strongly encourage you to have a conversation with him about his behaviour,' it added.

A Peaceful Viewing Still Possible

Despite instances of boisterous conduct in movie theatres throughout the US and the UK, Wednesday was a typical day at Cineworld in Didsbury, Manchester. During a couple of early afternoon showings of the film featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa during the school spring break, the viral moment passed quietly, with cinema employees stating they had not encountered any disruptive or unsociable actions.

Luke Halil, 29, and Carla Gouveia, 24, who came to watch the film with their young son, had a peaceful experience. The couple said they were familiar with the 'chicken jockey' trend but had not expected any unusual behaviour, as they had booked an early afternoon viewing.

'It was really quiet. The film were good,' Gouveia said. 'I think because of the time of day, it was less likely to be how it has been. If you were to come in the evening you probably would witness more of that kind of behaviour.'

In 2022, TikTok was also involved in another disruptive cinema fad when certain viewers interrupted showings of Minions: The Rise of Gru, which led some UK movie theaters to prohibit groups of youngsters arriving at screenings in fancy costumes.