Director of A Minecraft Movie has fun with the chaos in cinemas caused by a single line: "Chicken Jockey!"

If you've been in a movie theater in the last few days to watch The Minecraft Movie, it's quite possible that you've left with more than just popcorn in your lap — maybe even with a live chicken running between the rows. And the blame, surprisingly, is on a single expression said with almost messianic enthusiasm by Jack Black: “chicken jockey.”

The scene happens near the end of the movie, when the character Steve, voiced by Jack Black, utters the infamous phrase. What should have been just another joke for fans turned into fuel for an absurd wave of mass reactions in theaters — and the director of the film, Jared Hess, is absolutely loving it.

"It's too funny," declared Hess in an interview with The New York Times. "It's been a blast. I laugh like an idiot every time someone sends me a new video." And there is no shortage of videos. In many of them, enthusiastic teenagers scream, climb on their friends' shoulders imitating the "chicken jockey" — that hilarious mob from Minecraft where a baby zombie rides a chicken —, and cause a real commotion at the exact moment of the line.

But, although the meme is genuinely funny on the internet, the reality in theaters is not as fun for everyone. Some showings had to be stopped due to the turmoil, there were cases of employees having to clean up tons of thrown popcorn, and even reports of live chickens loose in the theaters. Yes, that really happened. In one theater, the situation got so out of control that the police were called.

Despite the anarchy, Hess shows no signs of regret. On the contrary, he seems to believe that this type of reaction was almost inevitable.

"It's not something you see every day," he comments. "But I think the chicken jockey is adorable, ridiculous, and can kill you — and that's what makes it special."

He also praises the performance of Jack Black:

"Jack says it with so much passion," continues Hess. "Everything he says in the movie is with an almost divine seriousness, as if it were the most important thing in the world. People love this madness."

On the other hand, not everyone is laughing. Many parents are taking to social media to report the hell of taking young children to sessions that turn into chaotic parties. After all, not everyone wants screams, soda on their head, and an arena-like experience in the middle of a matinee.

The truth is that The Minecraft Movie — which has already broken box office records by grossing over $300 million on its opening weekend — has become more than just a children's blockbuster. It has become a cultural phenomenon with its own living memes, like the legendary chicken jockey.

In the end, as Hess said: perhaps we are just facing one of those collective craziness that only the internet and love for Minecraft can explain. Whether it's a passing moment or the birth of a new insane tradition, one thing is certain: if you go to the cinema now, be prepared. Because upon hearing “chicken jockey”, chaos may ensue. And don't say you weren't warned.