AMC makes a U-turn and says patrons WILL have to wear face masks in theaters - one day after declaring they wanted to let local governments decide to avoid being caught up in 'political controversy'
AMC says patrons will now be required to wear masks when their theaters reopen next month - less than a day after they said they would defer to local governments on the issue.
The national's largest theater chain were met with widespread backlash following their initial announcement on Thursday, prompting CEO Adam Aron to change course.
'We think it is absolutely crucial that we listen to our guests,' Aron said in a statement on Friday, adding that customers who refuse to wear face-coverings will be denied entry to their cinemas.
'It is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks.'
AMC says patrons will now be required to wear masks when their theaters reopen next month - less than a day after they said they would defer to local governments on the issue. 450 of their 600 cinemas are scheduled to reopen July 15
The announcement was in contrast to comments Aron made in an interview with Variety on Thursday, where he stated he did not wish to become caught up in a 'political controversy' over mask-wearing.
'We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary,' he told the publication.
Mr Aron (pictured) made the comments during an interview with Variety
However, his comments were met with anger from many, and #boycottAMC quickly became a trending topic on Twitter.
While public health officials say wearing a mask is important in helping stop the spread of COVID-19, not wearing one has become a political statement for people who say it violates their freedom or exaggerates the threat of the coronavirus.
President Donald Trump has pushed back against masks, even as the virus has killed more than 100,000 Americans this year.
On Thursday, AMC announced that 450 of its 600 cinemas would be reopening on July 15 in time for Disney's Mulan and Christopher Nolan's new blockbuster, Tenet.
In a statement, AMC declared that their employees would be required to wear face coverings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
And while patrons were 'strongly urged' to also wear masks, it would only be compulsory in areas where local government had mandated their use. Friday's U-turn changes that policy.
AMC announced that 450 of its 600 cinemas would be reopening on July 15 in time for Disney's Mulan and Christopher Nolan's new blockbuster, Tenet
Also on Friday, Regal Cinemas followed in AMC's footsteps, reversing course on their face-covering policy.
Like AMC, Regal initially stated that mask-wearing would only be compulsory in areas where he it was mandated by the government. However, they now also say patrons in all parts of the country will be required to don a mask at their cinemas.
'Our ultimate goal is to create a safe environment for our guests and employees. This is a change to our previous policy on masks based on feedback received from our customers,' a spokesperson told Deadline.
Alamo Drafthouse, which operates around 40 locations in the US also said Friday that it would be requiring that guests wear masks at its theaters, with a caveat for eating and drinking. Those without masks, it said, would be given one.
AMC was forced to shutter its 600 cinemas back in March amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured, an empty parking lot at an AMC Theater in New Jersey
In addition to mask-wearing, AMC has also implemented a number of other safety protocols they hope will stop the spread of COVID-19.
Their cinemas will be first opened at 30 per cent capacity before gradually increasing up to 100 per cent capacity by Thanksgiving.
Each row of seats will be blocked out to enforce social distancing and guests will be pushed towards online ticketing rather than visiting kiosks.
A one-way system will also be implemented to reduce chances of infection.
It comes just weeks after AMC Theatres said it had 'substantial doubts' it could survive the coronavirus pandemic.
The cinema chain, which was forced to shutter its doors in the US as the outbreak spread across the country back in March, issued the grave warning in a regulatory filing Wednesday, June 3 as it revealed it expects to report losses of up to $2.4 billion in the first quarter.
Revenue has plummeted around 22 percent to $941.5 million compared to the first quarter last year, and this quarter is expected to be even worse.
