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We all know that it has been extremely hard to get people to go to the cinema since the pandemic. However, in a year where the movie industry has struggled to find its footing, A Minecraft Movie exploded onto the scene last week. With a jaw-dropping $163 million domestic opening and $313 million worldwide, it surpassed all expectations.
But beyond the numbers lies a bigger story: one that marketers, creators, and studios alike should be paying close attention to. This wasn’t just a win for Warner Bros: it was a wake-up call for how Gen Z consumes, interacts with, and amplifies culture.
Minecraft KILLED IT on their opening weekend:
The movie had a lot working against it. The film had mixed reviews, an overstuffed release schedule, and a saturated IP market. And yet, Minecraft proved that when you speak Gen Z’s language, you can dominate.
So how did Warner Bros. and Legendary pull this off?
Through the largest third-party brand collaboration campaign in studio history—yes, even bigger than Barbie’s.
They partnered with 45 brands, including:
These weren’t just logo placements or lazy tie-ins. These partnerships created content that showed up everywhere Gen Z lives—TikTok, YouTube, gaming channels, and even IRL activations. The marketing campaign met the audience where they are, not where studios think they should be.
Minecraft is what Hollywood calls a “four-quadrant” film—meaning it appeals to:
That’s a marketing unicorn. But it happened here because Minecraft did three crucial things:
A Minecraft Movie screenings have turned into full-on events—and not always in the traditional sense.
Audiences—mostly tweens and teens—aren’t just watching the movie. They’re filming themselves watching it. Reacting. Screaming. Laughing. Throwing popcorn. And in some cases, getting escorted out by the police.
The most viral moment? A seemingly throwaway line where Jack Black’s character says “Chicken Jockey.” For the uninitiated, that’s a rare creature in the Minecraft universe—a baby zombie riding a chicken. It’s not even a major plot point. But when it gets mentioned on screen? Absolute chaos.
Kids lose their minds. They hoot, holler, and chuck snacks in the air. TikTok clips show audiences waiting in silence just to record their own eruption when the line hits. It’s absurd. It’s hilarious. And it’s deeply instructive.
“Kids are watching movies like amped-up YouTubers, in noisy search of content.” – The Guardian
It’s not unlike Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings—except now, the call-and-response lives on social media, not in shadow casts. This is a generation raised on livestreams and reaction videos. They want the theater experience to feel communal, spontaneous, and sharable.
One of the sharpest insights from A Minecraft Movie’s success? This wasn’t about nostalgia. It was about new IP that kids are obsessed with right now.
As No Film School put it:“Hollywood keeps betting on what parents remember. But kids want what they play with now.”
Studios have been endlessly rebooting old franchises, hoping that the warm glow of the past will put butts in seats. But Minecraft’s success shows that Gen Z crave content that feels current, that lives in the worlds they already love, that speaks their language—not their parents'.
So what can we take away from all this?
Oh: and let the kids throw the popcorn. The future of cinema—and marketing—depends on it.
