‘Minecraft’ Exec Details Movie’s Box Office Success at SXSW London

The billion-block question isn’t whether entertainment brands can survive in today’s fractured media landscape — it’s whether traditional brands can evolve fast enough to join them. That was the central thesis explored during SXSW London‘s “Entertain or Die: How Minecraft is Becoming a Modern Media Mogul” panel on Tuesday, where “Minecraft” associate brand director Harry Elonen revealed the strategic blueprint behind one of 2025’s biggest box office phenomena.

“A Minecraft Movie” shattered expectations with a record-breaking $163 million opening weekend, ultimately grossing $948 million worldwide against a $150 million budget to become the second-highest-grossing video game film of all time, after “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” But for Elonen, the film’s success represents something far more significant than box office numbers — it’s proof that modern brands must fundamentally reimagine their relationship with audiences.

“Community is the top driver in our category of engagement,” Elonen told the packed Shoreditch venue. “I cannot tell you how many times a parent has come to me and asked, ‘What is actually a chicken jockey?’ The truth is, people don’t necessarily really know what a chicken jockey is, because it happens so seldom in the game. So what that reaction is all about is essentially a celebration that only we in this room know what this is. It’s a form of community.”

The chicken jockey — a rare in-game occurrence where a baby zombie rides a chicken — exemplifies how “Minecraft’s most obscure elements become cultural touchstones for its dedicated fanbase.

The journey from pixelated sandbox game to Hollywood blockbuster wasn’t without its challenges. Elonen admitted the initial trailer launch was “a stressful part of our lives” due to lukewarm reception and harsh critique. “I think we were leaning too much to something that didn’t look, feel or even…