Viral 'chicken jockey' trend sparks brawl during Erina theatre screening of A Minecraft Movie
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A viral social media trend is believed to have sparked a violent brawl at a screening of A Minecraft Movie on the Central Coast.
The craze involves moviegoers launching popcorn and drinks and even screaming when Jack Black's character Steve announces "chicken jockey" during a scene from the fantasy adventure also starring Jason Momoa and Jennifer Coolidge.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Violent cinema brawl sparked by viral social media craze.
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Police were called to a theatre at Erina, following reports that four boys aged 14 were involved in a brawl with two unknown males just after 7.30pm on Sunday.
7NEWS understands it erupted when some in the audience began throwing their snacks.
The two males left the scene before police arrived and the boys were not injured, according to police.
No charges have been laid and the police investigation continues.
Hoyts, which has increased staff off the back of the craze, told 7NEWS it was "thrilled" with the enthusiasm surrounding the film but asked guests to "help maintain a safe, respectful, and enjoyable environment for everyone".
"We are aware of the incident over the weekend and are conducting an internal review," a spokesperson said.
"At HOYTS, we do not tolerate antisocial behaviour and will take necessary steps to ensure the safety of both our guests and staff.
"We are committed to providing an enjoyable experience and, to that end, have increased staff presence and will actively manage any disruptive behaviour during sessions."
What is a 'chicken jockey'?
A Minecraft Movie is based on the best-selling 2011 sandbox video game, Minecraft, with audiences going wild over the film's chicken jockey scene.
A chicken jockey is a baby zombie from the game that rides a chicken like a horse.
In the viral scene from the movie, another of the movie's stars, Momoa, is seen in a ring with a chicken.
Then a box descends from the ceiling, dropping an entity on to the back of the chicken as Black yells, "Chicken jockey".
Those familiar with the game know that chicken jockeys are rare occurrences.
A chicken jockey in A Minecraft Movie. Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Footage shared on social media has shown moviegoers across the globe screaming, tossing buckets of popcorn in the air and enthusiastically applauding.
There has also been reports of police being called to deal with the rowdy behavior which has left theater employees unhappy about mammoth cleanups.
"I can understand cheering due to the memes but throwing your food and drink is just idiotic," one person said on a 7NEWS video of one trashed Melbourne cinema.
Another said: "If everyone is cheering, sure, no worries. But trashing the cinema is a d*** move."
A Minecraft Movie has raked in more than $US 550 million since release, and is so far the highest grossing film of the year.
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More evidence that the Idiocracy is here.
The director of the movie made statements agreeing with the vandalism. Yes, it is idiocracy.
And America’s newest export, ‘’Theater Wars’’
Another stupid social media inspired trend. Although I must admit that when I was young and the Rocky Horror Picture Show was big I did engage in some theatre shenanigans