‘A Minecraft Movie’ director Jared Hess has a message for everyone joining the ‘chicken jockey’ craze

Fresh off its surprisingly lucrative haul at the domestic box office, A Minecraft Movie is yet again making headlines, this time courtesy of director Jared Hess’ response to the viral craze spawned by the movie. 

In case you missed it, cinemas across the country are becoming sites for a feverish audience reaction to one particular scene in A Minecraft Movie, which is based on the namesake video game. The scene in question sees Jason Mamoa, who plays Garrett ‘The Garbage Man’ Garrison, enter into a boxing ring opposite a Minecraft-style chicken that is being ridden by a Frankenstien-looking zombie (the Oscar for best screenplay goes to…). 

the minecraft movie is truly one of the worst movies i’ve ever seen but the universal reaction to “chicken jockey” im seeing made it all worth it. pic.twitter.com/0mxgliSYEp

— ollie 🧡🤍🩷 (@ollie_twt) April 5, 2025

The scene is a reference to the chicken jockeys that appear in the original video game, who are apparently exciting enough to prompt scores of movie-goers into loud fits of applause and rowdy popcorn-throwing antics. Footage of the craze-inducing scene took off like wildfire on social media, no-doubt ensuring that the trend will continue in perpetuity until there’s simply no more chicken left to jockey. So fervent was the audience reaction that in one case, police were called to a screening of Minecraft to escort a group of young viewers. 

Now, just as it seemed the craze was beginning to die down, Hess has chimed in with some thoughts of his own. Thankfully, the director — who has elsewhere helmed Napoleon Dynamite and Masterminds — seems to be in on the joke. “It’s been so bananas,” Hess said of the fan reaction in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. “It’s been way too fun. People are sending me these really hilarious speeches that a lot of teenagers are giving right before the movie.”

Hess went on to reveal that he has been “staying up way too late” watching all the videos of the ‘chicken jockey’ craze, to the point where his wife, fellow director Jerusha Hess, has instructed him to put his phone away. It’s a tale I certainly relate to, since everything I’ve learned about the trend has been completely against my will. Hess later addressed the one instance in which the police (party poopers) were called, and he dismissed their participation in the trend entirely.

“It’s weird when you’re having too much fun and the cops get called,” Hess said. “It’s funny because I think it’s just literally cheering and throwing popcorn, which is so funny to me that cops are getting called for popcorn.”He’s right, because the only time the police should be involved is when the theater attendant commits the cardinal crime of under-salting my popcorn.

But beyond that particular brush with the law, Hess said his main takeaway from the audience response to his film has been one of nostalgia. “I’m just glad people are making memories with their friends and families,” he said. “It’s great, especially when people are climbing on their friends’ shoulders and standing up and cheering for those moments.”

Hess must certainly be cheering for himself, since A Minecraft Movie has broken multiple records since its release earlier this month. This week, it was revealed that the adaptation had surpassed Barbie to score Warner Bros. third-biggest domestic box office haul for an opening weekend. Coincidentally, Barbie also spawned a movie-goer craze of its own, so perhaps all aspiring directors need to do to secure the bag is somehow hack the algorithm. At the very least, it’ll mean no more chicken jockeys appearing on my feed uninvited.