AMC Theatres banned people from singing along at “Wicked”
It still had its best domestic pre-Thanksgiving weekend on record.
Popular! It’s already popular!
AMC Theatres, a national fast-food chain serving popcorn and mediocre nachos that often shows movies, too, made headlines after airing an ad before “Wicked” screenings warning audiences against singing along. It didn’t stop fans from turning out in full force over the weekend, though, as the chain’s domestic takings hit an all-time high for the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Despite the record revenues this particular blockbuster weekend, which were also due — albeit in a smaller part — to Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” AMC isn’t really in a great position to be kicking moviegoers out of its theaters, with quarterly revenues still sitting below where they were prepandemic.
Still, a recently announced raft of sing-along “Wicked” specials in December where enthusiasts could hold space for “Defying Gravity” to their hearts’ content could help. And in other good news for the chain, concession stands were reportedly swamped, with much of AMC’s “Wicked” merch reportedly selling out midway through the weekend as fans snapped up pink and green popcorn holders and more. Big lines at theater food and drink counters shouldn’t come as a surprise. AMC has gotten really good at selling mountains of popcorn, drinks, and tasty treats — its business model depends on it.
According to Nicole Kidman’s famous pre-movie ad, we come to AMC theaters “for magic… to laugh, to cry, to care.” But, per AMC’s financials, she forgot “to eat.” In the last quarter, the company’s food and beverage offerings raked in $490 million, with 65.1 million visitors spending an average of $7.53 each on snacks and drinks at AMC theaters.
As anyone who actually pays the extortionate prices at AMC will unhappily tell you, the markups on the chain’s food and drinks are truly astonishing. For every $10 that the moviegoers who aren’t sneaking their own treats in spend on hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and soda, the company takes a whopping $8.16. By comparison, for every $10 that AMC takes on ticket sales, the company holds on to just $4.88 once the actual film exhibition costs are accounted for.
