Posted in: Movies | Tagged: 15 cents, 1920, AMC Theatres, back to the future, Christopher, inception, reopening, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, tenet

AMC Theatres to Re-Open with 15-Cent Admission for 100th Anniversary

Published Thu, 13 Aug 2020 09:45:30 -0500

by Tom Chang

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In advance of the grand re-opening of the no. 1 cinema chain in the US, AMC Theatres announced a new promotion to mark their 100th anniversary. On August 20th in 100 locations across the country, the Leawood, Kansas-based conglomerate plans to lower admission prices to its original 15 cents for a range of classics fans can relive on the big screen. The Dubinsky Brothers, who founded AMC opened their first cinema in Kansas City, Missouri in 1920. The titles initially offered for the single-day promotion are legacy titles like Black Panther (2018) and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), according to Variety.

New York City, USA - Jan. 5, 2017: View of AMC Empire 25 theater on 42nd Street, in Manhattan, at night (Image: Mark Zhu / Shutterstock.com) — New York City, USA – Jan. 5, 2017: View of AMC Empire 25 theater on 42nd Street, in Manhattan, at night (Image: Mark Zhu / Shutterstock.com)

AMC plans a phased re-opening starting at the 100 on August 20 before steadily re-opening its remaining locations of their 600 plus theatres. The chain along with other major rivals Regal Cinemas and Cinemark found themselves delaying their re-openings given the uncertainty conditions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Each rolled out their own plans to abide by safe social distancing with updated policies, protocol, and sanitation procedures. Masks were originally considered optional until public outcry toughened their stance. On August 21, the price of admission increases to $5 and provides screens for older films like Inception (2010), Back to the Future (1985), Ghostbusters (1984), and Grease (1978).

The re-openings hinged on the studios' comfort level with releasing their blockbusters. Chaos and uncertainty with the pandemic caused multiple delays. Disney and Universal already opted to make two of their most anticipated titles of 2020 to On-Demand in Mulan and Trolls World Tour, respectively. The re-openings of the chains hinged on Warner Bros' upcoming Christopher Nolan epic Tenet, which is currently set to September 3. Before its release, the Russell Crowe thriller Unhinged for Solstice Studios will see the light of day on August 21st followed by 20th Century Studios final holdover X-Men film The New Mutants on August 28. In addition to lowering ticket prices, AMC also plans to lower concession prices of certain items like regular sized popcorn and fountain drink to $5 each. The company also encourages new customers to sign up for their Stubs A-List program, which allows subscribers to watch up to three movies at any tier weekly at no additional cost. While the monthly price from $20-25, the chain is offering a discounted first month at $5. Will you come back?

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