‘Minecraft’ Movie Director Finds It 'Hilarious' Police Are Called on Rowdy Audiences

The filmmaker of ‘A Minecraft Movie’, Jared Hess, has offered his opinions on the surprising and boisterous crowd responses the movie has generated since its premiere.  After an unprecedented first weekend, Hess talked about the raucous, rowdy audiences, especially during the well-liked "chicken jockey" scene, with some even requiring police intervention.

 "It's odd to see law enforcement involved over what is basically enthusiastic cheering and tossing popcorn," he said, finding the entire incident humorous.  The viral recordings of fans cheering, jumping on friends' shoulders, and yelling during significant moments have amused Hess, who also commented on the ridiculousness of popcorn-related interruptions being taken so seriously.

The director interprets the responses as evidence that audiences are truly interested in the movie and creating enduring memories, particularly when seeing it with loved ones.  The sequence where Steve, played by Jack Black, refers to a "chicken jockey"—a reference to the original video game that fans have taken to as a meme—has generated the most viral comments.

Image Courtesy: The New York Times

 Some theaters, including one in New Jersey, have restricted unaccompanied minors from seeing the film due to the overpowering atmosphere.  The theater declared that all children must henceforth be accompanied by an adult for all future screenings after a particularly chaotic screening that involved vandalism and complaints from other guests.

Hess is relishing the publicity in spite of the issue.  He even acknowledges that he has been staying up late viewing fan-made videos, saying that it has been both funny and bizarre to watch the videos and hear the crowd chanting.  ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is still showing up in theaters and doing well at the box office.

–Farheen Ali