Minecraft movie sparks chaos at cinemas as police are forced to intervene over viral challenge

The Minecraft Movie scored one of the biggest openings ever in Australia, and teens are sparking mayhem at sold-out screenings.

The Minecraft Movie scored one of the biggest openings ever in Australia over the weekend, but its led to teenagers sparking chaos at screenings resulting in police having to get involved in some cases.

Based on the multibillion-dollar 2011 sandbox game, and with a big-ticket cast including Jason Momoa, Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge, A Minecraft Movie follows the quest of four misfits, Garrett ‘The Garbage Man’ Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) who find themselves trapped in the fictional Overworld.

One viral video shows a teen throwing a giant bag of popcorn over families. Picture: X

One cinemagoer in the US claimed police were called to their screening after a teenager through drinks all over an unsuspecting father. Picture: X

Despite being predicted to bomb at the box office, the $US150 million Warner Bros. film managed to make a staggering $US301 million globally in its opening weekend, $AU13 million of that here in Australia, making it one of the Top 15 openings ever Down Under.

While teenagers have never been known to be the most quiet of patrons at the cinema, the Minecraft movie taken the problem to an entirely new level of chaos.

Videos posted to social media have show teenagers ripping off their shirts, throwing food in the air and yelling at the screen, sparking mass complaints from parents bringing their young children to see the movie.

A Minecraft Movie has become a breakout success; but at what cost? Picture: Supplied.

One scene in particular has sparked a viral challenge that begs teens to cause as much chaos as possible when Jack Black’s character Steve says the phrase: “chicken jockey.”

One viral video shows teens erupting into pandemonium before cutting to scenes of police escorting them out of the cinema.

Another shows a teenage boy throwing a giant bag of popcorn over unsuspecting cinema-goers trying to enjoy the film.

As a result, audiences attending screenings of A Minecraft Movie are being asked by cinemas around the globe to avoid “disruptive behaviour” or face serious consequences.

One sign at a cinema in the UK told patrons: “Disruptive behaviour, including taking part in TikTok trends, before, during, or after a screening will not be tolerated. Anyone causing disruption will be asked to leave, and where necessary, the police will be called.”

Despite the positive reception from youngsters, critics were scathing in their reviews, with Daily Beast calling it an “absolute disaster gaming fans will hate”, while popular gaming and entertainment website Dexerto dubbed it “the worst film of 2025 so far.”