Sooo… we’ve all seen the Chicken Jockey chaos, right? A Minecraft Movie has taken the younger generation by storm and blew up over the course of a pretty stellar opening weekend at the box office — and the film’s Chicken Jockey moment is definitely a huge part of that. That said, the moment has gotten so huge, people have allegedly started bringing live poultry into screenings to celebrate the scene. Yeah, you read that right.
Warning! Potential disturbing scenes are depicted in the footage below.
A clip has recently surfaced on TikTok that shows a pair of moviegoers hold a live chicken above their heads during the Chicken Jockey scene, as well as another clip where the chicken can be seen hanging out in the movie theater’s lobby as patrons look on. It’s interesting to note that the TikTok now contains a special label when you watch it that reads: “Participating in this activity could result in you or others getting hurt.”
they brought a live chicken pic.twitter.com/t2FELBbEZt
— ?HOURLY? shitpost (@hourly_shitpost) April 9, 2025
The clip above, posted to X / Twitter but originally published on TikTok, claims the people who brought the live chicken into the cinema were kicked out as a result of their actions.
The line in question is said during a scene in which Jack Black and Jason Momoa face a cuboid Minecraft chicken who is ridden by a baby zombie in a boxing ring. Black’s Steve declares "CHICKEN JOCKEY!" after the baby zombie falls from a crate onto the chicken; a reference to the video game itself, where certain baby zombie characters are sometimes found riding a chicken.
Given these fans had already seen the chicken jockey scene via a Minecraft trailer released in February, they were primed for release when they saw the movie in the cinema. And now, the chicken jockey line has taken on a life of its own, going viral on social media which in turn is fueling even more intense reaction.
There are even reports of police being called to eject members of the audience, and complaints from theater employees who have taken to social media and online forums to say people throwing drinks and popcorn makes their jobs even harder, not to mention the impact on the animals themselves.
A Minecraft Movie — which stars Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen — is an adaptation of Mojang Studios’ beloved sandbox game, which was released in 2013 to wide acclaim. The film debuted in theaters on April 6 — and it made over $300 million over the course of its opening weekend.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
