After the success of AMC Entertainment’s beta launch of its Private Theatre Rentals program, the cinema has opened it to the public.
The chain revealed the program on Tuesday, a month after the opening of its beta program, which brought in 110,00 inquiries from around the country, Varietyreports. The company said the number of calls it received about private rentals was accomplished without any serious marketing or press announcement, with the number in inquiries four times higher than the total amount of AMC’s private rentals from all of 2019.
Patrons can rent out a theater from any of AMC’s 600 screening rooms across the U.S. for as little as $99 for up to 20 people. The cost of newer releases like Tenet, The War with Grandpa, and Freaky start at $149. Per AMC’s policy, outside food and beverages are not permitted in a screening.
AMC is strictly imposing its AMC Safe & Clean policies and protocol, which include required face coverings and social distancing within an auditorium. The total number of patrons for a private screening may be less than 20, depending on state and local guidelines.
Elizabeth Frank, AMC Entertainment executive vice president of worldwide programming and chief content officer, told Variety, “The results and feedback from our guests about AMC Safe & Clean have been overwhelmingly positive, and Private Theatre Rentals at AMC provides an additional layer of safety and security to those moviegoers who are looking to see movies with just their family members and friends. It’s unprecedented for AMC to receive 110,000 contacts in four weeks about a private theatre rental, based only on word of mouth and organic publicity, and we are excited about and appreciative of the interest this has sparked among AMC guests.”
AMC officially kicks off the program after it was reported on Nov. 2 that a 90.9 percent decline in revenues had transpired during its recent earnings period. That day, the cinema chain also filed to sell stock to Citigroup Global Markets and Goldman Sachs in order to make $47.7 million in cash remain open. On Oct. 20, AMC said it might have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy if it can’t acquire more liquidity.
