After just two weeks in the theater, ‘A Minecraft Movie’ has become one of the highest-grossing Hollywood releases of 2025. It is now among the two highest-grossing video game adaptations in global box office history, second only to ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie.’
Initially projected to gross between $60 million and $80 million in its opening weekend, the film surpassed expectations,grossing over $500 million worldwide.
When the official trailer was released over 4 months ago, it received mixed reactions. Myka Dent, ‘27, shared a common criticism with many students upon seeing the trailer.
“I was laughing at it,” Dent said. “I thought it was a joke.”
A common reaction among people who saw the trailer was that the animation and casting were not up to par when adapting such a massive video game into a film. For some viewers, however, all it took was actually seeing the movie for those thoughts to fade away.
“And after [seeing the movie], I thought it was a cinematic masterpiece,” Dent.
Marketing played a significant role in promoting ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ even before its release. The movie worked with 45 different brands, including a special meal at McDonald’s and a branded Minecraft Poppi soda.
Once the movie trailer reached social media, it went instantly viral for its extreme meme-worthy nature. Edited clips of the trailer could be found everywhere on social media platforms, adding just that much more to interest in the movie’s release.
One of the movie’s standout scenes features Garrett the garbage man, played by Jason Momoa, stepping into a ring to face a chicken. Suddenly a baby zombie is lowered and then dropped on the chicken, replicating a rare occurrence in the actual game with an unusual name. Steve, played by Jack Black, calls out “Chicken Jockey” to confirm all viewer suspicions.
This scene left theaters in a celebratory uproar, with audiences reacting wildly. Videos of screaming, thrown popcorn, and even actual chickens being brought to theaters have gone viral over social media, adding even more to the movie’s popularity.
However the extreme audience reaction has led theaters to crack down on their rules, with Black even coming in before a showing to let the audience know to enjoy the show but stay respectful.
“I liked when they said ‘Chicken Jockey,’” Maeve Mohler, ‘26, said. “It was the pinnacle of cinema to me, honestly.”
For those who haven’t yet seen the movie and may be looking to avoid the audience chaos, going to an early showing is recommended.
“In the theater that we were in, there was no big Chicken Jockey reaction because we watched it early in the morning,” Rapeegon Tangsantikul, ‘25, said.
WHHS students shared positive reactions to the Minecraft movie, while also pointing out areas for improvement.
“There were certainly things that I thought could have been better or they could have elaborated further on,” Karl Vilski, ‘26, said. “I just thought they could have been a bit more creative with their story. It felt basic.”
On the other hand, some students enjoyed the simplistic and humorous approach.
“It was bad, but it was so bad it was really good,” Will Curtin, ‘25, said. “ I was laughing a lot because I thought it was really stupid.”
Many students agreed this movie was meant for a good time with friends and family and that all age ranges were welcome.
“I thought it was a great time, 10 out of 10,” Karter Moss, ‘28, said. “I mean the characters were great; it was a real tearjerker. It was a great experience with me and my friends.”
Many students thought the movie was so good they felt inspired to watch it multiple times.
“When I first saw it, I knew there and then that I would be watching it multiple times,” Oliver Bayer, ‘28, said. “I don’t want to say [how many times], but four.”
As the film continues to captivate audiences, whether you’re a long-time Minecrafter or a new one, WHHS students alike recommend this movie as it offers an easy-going and unique experience worth exploring.
