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Cinema bans children from Minecraft evening shows

Gavin Kermack
BBC News, West Midlands
Warner Bros A still from A Minecraft Movie. On the left is the actor Jack Black, a man with long hair and a bushy grey beard, is wearing a turquoise jumper and navy blue trousers. A child actor, Sebastian Hansen, a boy with thick curly dark hair, is on the right, wearing a red jumper and dark blue trousers. The actor Jason Momoa, with long dark hair and a dark beard, is standing in the middle and slightly in front of them, wearing a pink jacket over a white t-shirt with ripped light blue jeans. All three have shocked expressions on their faces and Momoa is using his arms to hold them back.Warner Bros
The film, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, has been eagerly anticipated by fans of the game

A cinema has banned under-18s from attending evening showings of A Minecraft Movie without an adult, following reports of rowdy behaviour.

The Electric Palace Picture House in Cannock, Staffordshire, said children would not be allowed to watch the film unaccompanied after 18:30 BST.

The film, based on the popular video game, has sparked social media trends of cheering, shouting out iconic lines, throwing popcorn, and fighting with Minecraft swords during screenings.

The cinema apologised, saying: "This decision has not been made lightly."

"We are aware of a viral trend on TikTok encouraging people to clap/cheer, shout phrases and throw food during the film," added the cinema in a Facebook post.

"We appreciate you are excited and have long awaited this film, but for everyone's comfort and enjoyment we kindly request that you do not take part in this trend."

The cinema said it had taken the decision due to "disturbances" over the weekend.

It warned anyone caught recording or disrupting showings would be "ejected from the screen without refund".

Electric Palace Picture House A brightly-lit building with "CANNOCK CINEMA" in lights above the entrance. Steps lead up to the front door of the building.Electric Palace Picture House
The cinema has asked people watching the film not to take part in the viral trend

The UK Cinema Association said the response from fans to the film's release last week had been "exceptional", with audience interaction driven by "the desire of young people to share their experiences on social media".

Chief executive Phil Clapp said most of the behaviour had been good-natured, but asked fans to be "mindful of the enjoyment of other cinema-goers".

The Electric Palace is not the first cinema to issue a warning. Earlier this week, a venue in Oxfordshire told people anyone engaging in "anti-social behaviour" would be kicked out without a refund.

Such instances at cinemas have included the arrival of the Chicken Jockey, which has become a TikTok trend, with some fans shouting and throwing popcorn.

The film - starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black - tells the story of a group of people pulled into Minecraft's famous cubic world.

Despite underwhelming reviews, it took an estimated $300m (£233m) at the box office during its opening weekend.

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