People are having insane reactions to the new Minecraft movie’s ‘Chicken Jockey’ scene

After its April 4, 2025 release, the Minecraft Movie—a film based on the bestselling video game—was widely considered a box office success. But one scene involving the Minecraft character “Chicken Jockey” created chaos among theatergoers; in some cases, police were called to manage audiences. While many online commenters marveled at the film’s success, others explained the film’s popularity and audience reactions were more about the film’s comically poor quality, transforming the film into an unexpected hit—complete with its own viral meme.

A Minecraft Movie, starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, and Jennifer Coolidge, followed Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa) and Minecraftmegafan Steve (Jack Black) as they try to save The Overworld from Malgosha, an evil pig sorceress.

The film premiered the first weekend in April to record-breaking success. It earned over 157 million dollars domestically, which made it the biggest three-day domestic opening ever for a movie based on a video game.

What is a ‘chicken jockey?’

In the original game of Minecraft, a “chicken jockey” was a baby zombie or one of a handful of “baby” creatures riding a chicken. Encountering a chicken jockey was extremely rare, and the character has many more powers than other characters. These include advanced strength, speed, jumping capabilities, and the ability to pick up items.

Why are Minecraft fans yelling ‘Chicken Jockey’ in movie theaters?

In one scene of the film, Black and Momoa’s characters are in a boxing ring, where they encounter a Minecraft chicken. This chicken was mounted by a baby zombie, creating a “chicken jockey.” In response, Black’s character exclaimed, “Chicken jockey,” as it attacked.

The line “chicken jockey” (and the scene as a whole) excited moviegoers. While watching, they chanted the line, applauded, and acted out the scene.

Footage on X and TikTok even showed some audience members throwing food and popcorn at screenings. In some of the participating theaters, the behavior got so out of control that police were called.

How did ‘chicken jockey’ become a meme?

The mayhem was well documented by other moviegoers eager to capture the chaos and post online. This created the “chicken jockey meme” (Featuring Black’s character yelling chicken jockey in the scene, or a still of the chicken jockey itself).

One X user shared a picture of a warning about the trend at their local theater. It said: “we know the Chicken Jockey is epic—but… please don’t throw popcorn or soft drinks at the screen.” The user put a text overlay on the photo, which simply replied, “nah.”

‘The universal reaction to chicken jockey I’m seeing made it all worth it’

While the exact reason for this unexpected viral meme is unknown, moviegoers and online commenters believed it was a reaction to the film’s poor quality. Appreciators of the trend leaned into the ridiculousness of the film to generate more entertainment value and a memorable experience.

“Though it was geared towards a different age group i really enjoyed laughing about it with a fun group. Would i watch it again? No. Will i always remember watching it in the theater and the fun that I had? Yeah,” read one comment. “Could it be that Minecraft is this generation’s Star Wars?” read another.

Still another read, “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.”

‘I am still processing what I saw’

The chicken jockey scene also got some negative responses, including some who saw the audience reaction as an example of mass cultural brainrot, especially in younger generations. “I guess slop is what people want,” read one comment. “I’ve lost all hope for the future,” read another.

Others marveled at the cultural response to the scene, likening it to films like Mortal Kombat, The Avengers, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. “I am still processing what I saw,” read one comment. “The only cinematic experience I can compare the audience participation to is Rocky Horror.” The user continued their thoughts in the comments, saying, “Never seen anything like this before.”

A Minecraft Movie, produced by Legendary Entertainment, is now playing in theaters.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Legendary Entertainment via their website. The production company did not immediately respond to the request for comment.

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