AMC Considering Text-Friendly Theaters
Less people are going to theaters these days, and it's no secret. Hell, I know my fair share of people who steer clear of them purely for the sake of avoiding those annoying audience members with their phones out, holding conversations throughout the film's runtime. We all know the feeling.
And while top movie theater executives have been weighing in on the state of the industry during CinemaCon, AMC Entertainment head Adam Aron addressed the possibility of allowing audience members to text during film screenings.
"When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow. You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life. At the same time, though, we’re going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t disturb today’s audiences.
"There’s a reason there are ads up there saying turn off your phone, because today’s moviegoer doesn’t want somebody sitting next to them texting or having their phone on. … What may be more likely is we take specific auditoriums and make them more texting friendly."
This sounds like... a good enough idea. It's funny, because you start to split people off into texters and non-texters. There's a social commentary to be had here, but maybe not right now. It's an idea that could see more people attending the theater, if there is an assurance that they can enjoy a movie uninterrupted.
Source: Cinemablend
