AMC will make moviegoers wear masks in theaters after outcry
Planning on going to the movies when theaters reopen? If it’s an AMC theater, you’ll need to wear a face mask.
On Friday, the world’s largest movie theater reversed course and decided to make patrons wear masks.
The reversal came after “an intense and immediate outcry from our customers,” said AMC in a statement. AMC had said the day prior that it would not require masks.
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“Accordingly, and with the full support of our scientific advisors, we are reversing course and are changing our guest mask policy,” the statement continued. “As we reopen theaters, we now will require that all AMC guests nationwide wear masks as they enter and enjoy movies at our theaters.”
AMC received a flurry of criticism on Thursday after its CEO Adam Aroon made the media rounds to discuss the reopening of its movie theater locations next month.
In an interview with Variety, Aroon stated that the company would not mandate that masks be worn by its customers at the theater unless required by a specific city or state.
“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” said the AMC CEO. That statement in particular set off a social media firestorm.
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Aroon doubled-down in another interview later that day with CNN explaining how the company just wanted to “keep the politics out of our theaters.”
"We didn't want to step into that controversy," he continued seemingly not realizing that AMC just did exactly that.
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AMC is planning to open more than 600 theaters next month. The movie theater chain has been closed at all its locations across the U.S. since the coronavirus lockdowns were instituted in March.
AMC employees were already given the mandate that they had to wear masks. Now, AMC customers will be required to do so too.
But, what if you forget your mask? Don’t worry. AMC is planning on selling them to moviegoers for $1.
