Feral teen “Minecraft Movie” fans might just be a good sign

Hollywood’s first hit of 2025 arrived on April 4th with “A Minecraft Movie”, a blockbuster adaptation of the block-building video game. The film took over $300m at the global box office in its opening weekend, putting it on a similar trajectory to “The Super Mario Bros Movie”, which went on to make nearly $1.4bn and become the second-most successful film of 2023. For cinema operators, whose overall takings last year were 30% below their pre-pandemic peak, the hit comes not a moment too soon.

Not every cinema-owner is happy, however, for something about “Minecraft” seems to send audiences berserk. Footage has spread online of crowds of teenagers screaming during screenings. Following a TikTok trend, they react to particular phrases in the movie: hurling their drinks in the air when a character mentions a “water bucket”, for instance, or jumping out of their seats at the entrance of a “chicken jockey” (ask a gamer). Some cinemas in America and Britain have banned children from evening showings unless a parent joins them.

Ushers may be fed up with the mess and damage. But there is something quietly encouraging about the phenomenon. Crowds of teenagers at the movies are a rare sight these days, as most prefer to stay at home and stream films after their release. Cinemas have tried to “eventise” moviegoing by improving their catering, laying on entertainment in the lobby and other gimmicks, but without huge success. Now, with their “Minecraft” antics, teenagers are getting a taste for the shared cinematic experience.

Can the trick be repeated with less mess? Three years ago TikTok inspired a similar trend when teenagers flocked to a “Minions” movie in formal wear (some were banned for rowdiness). Gaming movies make good material for group crazes, as existing fandoms—“Minecraft” boasts more than 100m monthly players—share in-jokes online. More gaming titles are on the way: the next 12 months will see sequels to “Mario” as well as “Mortal Kombat”. Ushers may want to brush up on their karate skills.■