Tonight, AMC Theatres CEO and President Adam Aron sent out the following informative letter to their AMC Stubs Members, detailing the theater’s plans for safe movie-watching this fall…
——————————–
Let me start by expressing my hope that you, your family and friends are all healthy and well.
Today, we are finally nearing an end to a more than five-month closure of AMC Theatres. To that end, we have exciting and comprehensive news to relay. Once again, AMC can welcome you back to the movies, having you enjoy them with our big seats, big sound and big screens.
1. AMC THEATRES ARE REOPENING
We already have opened more than half of our theatres in Europe and the Middle East, safely and without incident, and will open all by August 26. Here in the United States, we will begin opening AMC with more than 100 theatres resuming operations on August 20, and continuing such that about two-thirds of our theatres across the country should be open no later than September 3. The remaining AMC locations will open after we get further clearance from state and local authorities that it is safe to do so. To check the status of your favorite AMC theatre, go to our website or mobile app beginning mid-morning tomorrow.
2. AMC IS IMPLEMENTING RIGOROUS CLEANING AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Consulting with some of the world’s best scientists and experts at The Clorox Company and current and former faculty of Harvard University’s prestigious School of Public Health, we are investing tens of millions of dollars in our extensive AMC Safe & Clean initiatives. We are taking all of these steps, and more, to keep you safe and our theatres clean:
• Social distancing will be very much in evidence throughout our theatres
• We are significantly limiting seating capacity in our auditoriums giving you added space
• All guests and employees must wear masks
• Hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes will be widely available throughout theatres
• You can expect continuous extra cleaning and disinfecting of high traffic areas
• Extra time added between showtimes to clean each auditorium before every screening
• Each auditorium and all seats cleaned daily using sophisticated electrostatic sprayers
• Increased fresh air handling and use of upgraded MERV 13 air filters wherever possible
• Use of high-tech HEPA vacuums
• Reduced cash handling at box offices and concession stands
• Introduction of online Mobile Ordering of food and beverage to speed you on your way
Nothing is more important to AMC than your safety, and your confidence in us to do what is right. More information can be found on our AMC Safe & Clean page beginning mid-morning tomorrow.
3. NEW MOVIE TITLES ARE HERE AND WE ARE BRINGING BACK SOME GREAT ONES
Disney’s latest installment in the X-Men Cinematic Universe, The New Mutants, debuts August 28, and Warner Brothers’ much awaited Tenet directed by the legendary Christopher Nolan opens on September 3. And enjoy seeing Russell Crowe in Unhinged starting August 21. More new movies will be released throughout September and the fall.
Also starting August 21, and leading up to Tenet, we are delighted to show a special 10th Anniversary edition of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, which includes a special message from Chris and sneak preview footage of Tenet.
As for library titles, we will be showing all of these beloved movies on the big screens of AMC: Back to the Future, Beauty and the Beast, Black Panther, Bloodshot, Ghostbusters, Goonies, Grease, I Still Believe, Jumanji: The Next Level, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.
Check our website or mobile app for showtimes, for reservations and for advance ticketing beginning mid-morning tomorrow.
4. VALUABLE OFFERS TO WELCOME YOU BACK
Starting August 21, our bringing back of classic movies will all be priced at only $5 per ticket plus tax. New releases will be at normal current-day pricing.
We also are offering a whole host of $5 food and beverage specials to welcome you back to our theatres.
5. DOUBLE POINTS AND TIME EXTENSIONS FOR YOU AS AN AMC STUBS MEMBER
All the way from the day we reopen through to October 31, 2020 you will earn double AMC Stubs points for all your eligible AMC purchases.
We recognize that you have been unable to use your AMC Stubs points and rewards that were set to expire while theatres were closed, so they all automatically have been extended through October 31, 2020. This extension includes all birthday rewards as well.
6. A $10 GIFT FOR YOU AS AN A-LIST MEMBER
As a thank you for your loyalty to AMC, we are also awarding each active A-List member with $10 in bonus bucks to use through October 31, 2020. This gift to you has been loaded automatically into your account to be used as you wish on any paid tickets or food and beverages at our theatres over the next two months.
7. REINSTATE YOUR A-LIST MEMBERSHIP AS YOU CHOOSE WHEN YOU WANT
We always want to do right by you to ensure that you continue to enjoy your A-List membership. So all AMC Stubs A-List memberships were automatically paused as theatre closures went into effect, and we ceased charging your credit card.
Now, we have created the ability for you to control when your A-List membership is reactivated. You can choose to resume your A-List membership any time between now and December 1, 2020. We will send you an email when your favorite theatre is open and then, and only when you feel ready to return to our theatres, simply visit your account on our mobile app or website to reactivate your membership. Then, you will be able to start making A-List movie reservations immediately.
On December 1, 2020, all memberships that are still paused will be automatically reactivated. As always, we will communicate with you well in advance of any changes to your membership status, including our reactivating of a paused membership. Of course, you can cancel your membership at any time.
8. NO A-LIST PRICE INCREASE THROUGH JUNE 1, 2021 AND SOME CHANGES IN TERMS
Just like always, AMC Stubs A-List members can watch up to 3 movies at AMC each week, with all the convenience and ease you have come to expect from AMC. We will be reopening our theatres with A-List pricing that will remain unchanged, and we hereby are further guaranteeing that there will be no A-List price increase anytime before late spring of 2021. Indeed, there has been only one A-List price change (and that only in just a third of the country) since the program was launched in June of 2018.
To keep A-List affordable, starting on December 1, 2020, AMC Stubs members will no longer earn AMC Stubs points for their monthly or annual membership fees. Of course, you will continue to earn AMC Stubs points for your individually purchased movie admissions tickets, and for paid food and beverage purchases.
Also starting on December 1, 2020, we will be adjusting our policy of providing advance notice of any A-List program changes from 90-days to 30-days in advance. We are doing so only to give us more flexibility in rapidly changing times. At this time, however, there are no other anticipated program changes in the works.
9. AND FINALLY…
Family after family has had to deal with trauma, sacrifice and loss with this coronavirus spread. And so too, this has been a rough time for many businesses, both big and small, who have had to cope with something not seen in the modern era — a sustained lockdown of just about all of the world’s population. Some companies did not make it through, and I would not be surprised if you read rampant press speculation about AMC. Fortunately, we are navigating this proud 100-year old company through these unprecedented times. What this means for you is that AMC will be around for a long, long, long time to come.
We will share more information with you tomorrow, but first wanted to provide a sneak peek. With our theatres now reopening, AMC can proudly look forward to entertaining and amusing you once again. Here’s to our next 100 years of making smiles happen at your local theatre. See you at the movies!
Adam Aron
CEO and President
AMC Theatres