AMC Theatres reversed course on Friday and will now require moviegoers to wear face masks, after saying Thursday that it would follow local requirements when locations reopen on July 15.
The change comes after “consulting with top scientists and health experts,” said AMC CEO and President Adam Aron.
The company originally planned to enforce mask-wearing in states requiring it, meaning if a state did not require masks, moviegoers could sit and watch the show without one.
That plan “prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks,” Aron said, adding that “those who are unwilling to wear a mask will not be admitted or allowed to stay.”
AMC will resume theater operations at approximately 450 U.S. locations on July 15, and it will reopen the remaining locations in time for the opening of Disney’s release of Mulan on July 24 and Warner Bros.’ Tenet on July 31.
The company plans to follow social distancing rules by initially capping ticket sales at a maximum of 30% of the normal seating capacity and blocking out every other row in nonrecliner auditoriums. These restrictions will be loosened in the future.
In the coming weeks, teams will begin returning to their theaters for training on AMC’s cleaning and safety procedures.
