When you go to an AMC Theater soon, you’ll have to wear a face mask.
This is AMC’s new policy after telling Variety yesterday that only employees would wear masks. AMC said it didn’t want to get “political.”
After Variety’s story came out yesterday, I emailed Ryan Moonan from AMC and asked if the company would include wording on their tickets our their website in which customers waived the right to sue if they felt they became ill at an AMC theater. The pr guy didn’t respond.
This morning, AMC reversed course and announced their new plan. If you don’t bring a mask, they’ll sell you one for a buck. The mask will be required. How this will work for eating and drinking is beyond me. Also, couples on a date night will have to smooch discreetly.
But look, you have to wear a mask in close quarters during this time. There’s no way around it. And AMC saw quickly how people responded. No mask, no movie.
Here’s their statement:
At AMC, we have been consulting with top scientists and health experts to create a broad, sweeping, far-reaching health and safety effort to make AMC Theatres safe for our guests and associates when our theatres reopen in July. Among many elements of that comprehensive plan was a requirement for our associates all to wear masks nationwide, as well as a requirement for our guests all to wear masks in the many parts of the country that will require it. In those areas of the country where masks will not be required, we nonetheless planned to strongly encourage mask usage by guests, and fully expected that the vast majority would do so. That policy on guest mask usage, which is directly comparable with our major competitors and many other highly regarded retailers, was announced yesterday afternoon.
“This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks. At AMC Theatres, we think it is absolutely crucial that we listen to our guests. Accordingly, and with the full support of our scientific advisors, we are reversing course and are changing our guest mask policy. As we reopen theatres, we now will require that all AMC guests nationwide wear masks as they enter and enjoy movies at our theatres. The speed with which AMC moved to revise our mask policies is a reflection of our commitment to the safety and health of our guests.
“We will constantly monitor the scientific community’s latest thinking as to the efficacy of mask usage. We also will be looking at the varying health conditions in specific localities around our theatres all across the country. This will help us to determine what our mask policy will be as we go forward, as well as to make any other needed changes to this policy. Guests coming to our theatres may bring their own masks of course, but for those who do not have one, masks will be available at our theatre box offices at a nominal $1.00 price. Those who are unwilling to wear a mask will not be admitted or allowed to stay.”
