Jack Black surprises kids at 'Minecraft' movie screening, tries to calm viral popcorn-throwing trend

Actor Jack Black recently made a surprise appearance at a movie theater showing A Minecraft Movie to speak directly to the excited audience — mostly filled with children. In a video that's now gone viral on social media, Black asked viewers to enjoy the movie without tossing popcorn or causing chaos during the screening.

According to a report by CBR, a pre-recorded message began playing over the speakers before the movie started. The voice warned: “For today’s presentation of A Minecraft Movie, please, no throwing popped corn, and also no Lapis Lazuli, and also absolutely no chicken jockey!” However, to everyone’s surprise, Jack Black himself walked into the theater holding a toy axe. The actor, who plays Steve in the film, revealed that it was him behind the voice message and pumped up the audience before the movie rolled. He shouted, “I am Steve! Look what I brought — my actual pickaxe! Are you ready to rock?” before asking everyone to enjoy the movie.

This cheerful moment comes as cinemas are facing a strange but viral trend called the "Chicken Jockey" incident, which has been causing problems at screenings. The scene in question from the film features a tiny zombie riding a chicken — a popular enemy from the Minecraft game. In response, many young fans in theaters have been reacting by throwing popcorn, drinks, and even jumping around or climbing on each other, leading to messy and chaotic auditoriums.

Several theaters have had to step in, banning unaccompanied minors or even stopping certain showings entirely. Some staff were forced to escort overly excited viewers out of the cinema due to the disturbances.

While Jack Black seemed to be trying to calm things down, the film’s director, Jared Hess, had a different take. He told CBR that he finds the fan reactions hilarious. He shared that he’s been watching videos of kids giving passionate speeches before the movie starts and that he’s enjoying the excitement it’s brought to fans. Hess joked, “It’s just popcorn, but somehow the cops are getting called. It’s wild, but it’s all in good fun.”

Despite the chaos, A Minecraft Movie has been a huge success at the box office. According to CBR, it earned $163 million in the U.S. and $313 million globally during its opening weekend. It even beat The Super Mario Bros. Movie to become the biggest opening for a video game movie ever. As of now, it's the top-grossing Hollywood film of 2025.

The Minecraft Movie is currently playing in theaters.