Second weekend. The film has grossed $80 million in the U.S., down 50% from its overwhelming $162.7 million debut. However, that’s still a figure that makes it the hit of the year. It has now grossed $550 million worldwide, surpassing Captain America: Brave New World. The movie has given a welcome boost to a sluggish box office at the start of the year. It kicks off a series of anticipated hits: Thunderbolts, the new Mission: Impossible, and Lilo & Stitch.
The most popular game in history. Although the first previews didn’t go over well with audiences—generating a spectacular number of dislikes on Warner Bros. Pictures’ official YouTube channels—the phenomenon is different but comparable to that of The Super Mario Bros. Movie: a failure among critics and older viewers, but a success among its target audience. It’s simple math: A Minecraft Movie is aimed at a potential 300 million viewers (the latest official sales figure from October 2023), and many are answering the call.
Not all of them are gamers. And those 300 million (which as of today will likely be many more) are multiplied by a simple factor: Many fans don’t play the game but consume game-related videos. Estimates suggest there could be tens of thousands of Minecraft streamers, each with thousands of followers—many of whom aren’t necessarily gamers. Remember: there are 600 million registered players, making it the fourth most popular game in the world. It’s fertile ground for bringing Generation Z into the theater.
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A complicated phenomenon to adapt. Minecraft has brought some of its aesthetics to the big screen, but that wasn’t easy on paper. The creation of Markus Persson, now owned by Microsoft (for $2.5 billion), features rudimentary but versatile graphics that allow endless creativity without pressure. For many players, the appeal lies in simply building, which has undoubtedly helped attract young users. Fanaticism took off at the start of the last decade—even before the launch of the first official version, the game already had 16 million players.
The infinite. The secret that keeps the game fresh and attracts millions is the thousands of mostly free mods that create new ways to interact with it. Beyond that, two decades after its debut, the game’s ability to build communities makes it a collective experience, largely without a central narrative. Regardless of its value as a film, this Warner Bros. Pictures bet is a major achievement: It has turned an experience into a narrative—and done it successfully.
The key to success: the winks. A Minecraft Movie succeeds because it speaks directly to gamers. It’s full of memes and tributes only diehard fans know how to decode—from the phrase “As a child, I yearned for the mines” to the game’s iconic soundtrack by C418. But above all: Chicken Jockey. A seemingly harmless meme has triggered an unexpected response from young audiences—riots in theaters.
A liberating cry. The cry of “Chicken Jockey!” comes from the streamer scene. There’s only a 5% chance a zombified character will spawn on top of a chicken, creating the illusion he’s riding it. That rarity makes it worth celebrating when it happens in a stream—hence the chain reaction when it appeared in the movie. A clip filmed on a cellphone during opening weekend went viral, showing the audience exploding in jubilation.
Chaos. It’s not unheard of (think The Rocky Horror Picture Show or Wicked), but audience participation is reaching new extremes. Descriptions and videos show screenings spinning out of control, with police called and people bringing fireworks or even live chickens into theaters. Recent developments include Jack Black showing up at a screening to call for calm, a New Jersey theater allowing minors only with adult supervision, and signs warning viewers of consequences if they misbehave.
Cinemas on fire. The topic will likely stay in the spotlight, as box office success ensures continued attention. For example, 4XD screenings are already taking off, where raucous behavior—except for bringing farm animals, trashing seats, or setting fires—is more than welcome. For now, critics struggle to explain the phenomenon. It’s not just a spectacle; it belongs to the highest-grossing movie of the moment. Do people embrace the chaos or lament the end of culture? Either way, they’ve been warned.
Image | Warner Bros. Pictures
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