One of AMC’s most recognizable assets is its pre-show ad featuring Nicole Kidman saying, ‘somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.’
But are the days where Nicole is gracing the big screen before the beginning of the latest movies numbered?
AMC Theatres has announced that it is currently working on shortening its pre-show.
Though there aren’t many details about what this will look like exactly, the company predicts that this change is set for before the end of the year.
But dedicated AMC fans and general movie-goers alike aren’t thrilled.
‘The ads are absurd but that 25-minute window before the movie actually starts is extremely clutch for many reasons,’ one user said in defense of the pre-show commercials.
‘Nooooo I get there 30 mins late and it’s perfect every time,’ another said, followed by a crying-face emoji.
‘We need that that 30 minute buffer with lines and slow a** concession workers take the longest,’ another user shared.
AMC Theatres announced a plan to shorten the pre-shows that play before movies
But some fans were more concerned with seeking clarification on what constituted as the pre-show.
‘The regular commercial ads are annoying, but I love movie trailers,’ one user commented.
‘I hope trailers aren’t included in this effort to shorten what plays before the movie.’
Others mirrored this sentiment, doubling down on their disdain for the advertisements that play before movies.
‘The biggest absurdity is paying for a service to watch commercials,’ one user said.
‘Just tell us the time the movie ACTUALLY starts,’ one X (formerly Twitter) user said.
The announcement comes after the company received backlash for plans to book more advertisements to show before movies.
Movie executives claimed that this cut into time that could be used to show trailers for other movies, advertising directly to movie-goers.
Fans were upset by the change, stating that they enjoyed the extra time to go to the concession stand (stock image)
Critics were especially concerned after noticing that AMC included the following language in their ticket-buying portals.
It read: ‘Please allow 25-30 extra minutes for trailers and additional content before the movie starts.’
This gave the impression that AMC was encouraging fans to skip the pre-show altogether.
But now that pre-shows are being shortened altogether, AMC can only wait to see how the movie industry responds.
