“A Minecraft Movie” marks a unique moment in film history, shining light on the intersection between cinema and internet culture. Directed by Jared Hess (creator of the indie classic “Napoleon Dynamite”), the film has been met with insane audience responses. With that, I’ve begun studying the current peculiar moment in cinematic history through the lens of a scientific concept: the Chicken Jockey Theory. This analysis examines the Chicken Jockey Theory through the lens of “A Minecraft Movie”, exploring how the ever-expanding culture of the internet has catalyzed unprecedented audience reactions and turnouts to the cinemas.
The “Chicken Jockey” event occurs when Steve, played by Jack Black, is pitted against the strange sight of a baby zombie riding on the back of a chicken. Obviously fearful of what such an innocent-looking creature could be capable of, Steve exclaims, “Chicken Jockey!” upon its arrival. This line, which went viral following its reveal in the film’s trailer, became a sensation on internet platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels. Influencers and meme pages amplified the uproar through video edits and compilation videos.
The Chicken Jockey Theory suggests that such moments, when plastered around the internet, create a feedback loop: social media drives audiences to theaters, where they participate in community built/performative reactions (e.g., shouting lines from the trailer as they appear in the film, clapping, throwing food), which are then recorded and shared online, furthering their clout while also increasing the popularity of the film.
The event draws similarities to other times when cinema has become participatory, especially with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” where the interactions audiences make with the film are the hallmark of the experience. However, the Chicken Jockey movement is unique in its rapid, internet-accelerated beginnings.
For “A Minecraft Movie,” this resulted in a box office gross surpassing $150 million domestically on the opening weekend. Cinemas, which have faced lower attendance rates since the pandemic, benefited from this surge. However, a variety of inconveniences occurred due to the Chicken Jockey fans, with reports and videos from across the world depicting audience members shouting and throwing concessions at multiple separate showings.
On the Tuesday after the film’s opening, I visited the cinema with very low expectations, being made very aware over the course of the weekend of the viral craze surrounding it. The narrative, while very formulaic, captures the heart of the video game. Attending a 9:45 p.m. showing at AMC theaters, I witnessed firsthand the Chicken Jockey phenomenon. As Jack Black delivered the now infamous line, the theater erupted alongside him, a moment of chaos that immediately overcame the film’s narrative shortcomings.
Chicken Jockey Theory shows how internet culture can influence theater turnout. By putting potentially viral moments into film marketing and leveraging fan-driven social media amplification, “A Minecraft Movie” was able to achieve blockbuster status while redefining why people come to the cinema. As theaters continue to navigate post-pandemic difficulties, embracing this phenomenon could help the industry greatly, making the legacy of Chicken Jockey not a disruption but a testament to cinema’s evolution in the digital age.
