AMC Theatres facts for kids
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Logo since 1994
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AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. current headquarters in Leawood, Kansas
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Trade name
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AMC Theatres |
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Formerly
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Dubinsky Bros. (1920–31, 1932–39) Publix-Dubinsky Bros. (1931–32) Durwood-Dubinsky Bros. (1939–47) Durwood Theatres (1947–68) American Royal Cinemas (1968–69) American Multi Cinema (1969–80) |
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| Industry | Entertainment |
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| Founded | 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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898 theaters and 10,059 screens |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$4.81 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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 US$-0.07 billion (2023) |
| US$-0.39 billion (2023) |
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| Total assets | US$9.00 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | US$-1.84 billion (2023) |
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Number of employees
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33,812 (December 2023) |
| Divisions | Odeon Cinemas Group |
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List
AMC Entertainment, Inc. AMC Loews Fork & Screen Dine-In Theatres The Café at AMC AMC Cinema Suites AMC Red Kitchen Wanda Cinemas Screenvision (20%) Odeon Cinemas UCI Cinemas (except in Brazil) Starplex Cinemas Eastwynn Theatres, Inc. George G. Kerasotes Corporation GKC Indiana Theatres, Inc. Michigan Theatres, Inc. GKC Theatres, Inc. Military Services, Inc. Nordic Cinema Group |
AMC Theatres is a huge movie theater company from the United States. It's known as the biggest movie theater chain in the world! AMC started way back in 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri. Today, it has more movie screens than any other company in the U.S. It's bigger than Regal Cinemas and Cinemark Theatres.
In 2016, AMC became the world's largest movie theater chain. This happened after it bought other big chains like Odeon Cinemas, UCI Cinemas, and Carmike Cinemas. Now, AMC has thousands of screens in both Europe and America.
AMC's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. For a while, a Chinese company called Wanda Group owned most of AMC. But after some financial changes, especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wanda's ownership became much smaller. By May 2021, Wanda Group had almost no part in owning AMC anymore.
Contents
How AMC Theatres Started
AMC Theatres was founded in 1920 by the Dubinsky brothers: Maurice, William, Irvin, Edward, and Barney. They were the sons of immigrants from Russia. Before starting AMC, the brothers traveled around the Midwest putting on plays.
They bought their first movie theater, the Regent Theatre, in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Maurice, the oldest brother, passed away in 1929. Barney left the company in 1936 after being in a car accident. Edward, the youngest brother, later changed his last name to Durwood. The company eventually became known as Durwood Theatres. They also had theaters in other cities like St. Joseph, Missouri and Topeka, Kansas.
Stanley Durwood Joins the Family Business
After World War II, Edward's son, Stanley Durwood, joined the company in 1945. He convinced his father to build drive-in theaters. These were outdoor theaters where people watched movies from their cars.
In 1947, they bought the Liberty Theater in Kansas City. They made it new and called it the Roxy. They even won a legal case that allowed them to show popular new movies there. This helped them buy other downtown cinemas in Kansas City.
The Idea of Multiplex Theaters
In 1961, after his father Edward passed away, Stanley took over Durwood Theatres. It was a small company with only ten theaters. Stanley noticed that a new highway was being built around Kansas City. He decided to look for places outside the downtown area to build new theaters.
He found two spots at a shopping center. He planned to build one large theater there. But since the spots couldn't be combined, he opened two theaters side-by-side. This was the Parkway Twin Theatre, opened in 1963. This was AMC's first step into the idea of a multiplex. A multiplex is a movie theater with many screens.
Stanley Durwood later said that he realized he could make twice as much money by adding a second screen to a theater. He could do this without needing more staff. This was a smart idea!
Growing with More Screens
After the Parkway Twin was a success, AMC built more multiplexes. They opened a three-screen theater called the Embassy 3. Then came the Metro Plaza, a four-screen theater in 1966. In 1969, they opened a six-screen theater in Omaha.
Other movie companies quickly started using the multiplex idea too. More screens meant they didn't need much more staff or money to run the theaters. But it brought in a lot more profit. It also gave people more movie choices in one place. This brought bigger crowds. Theater owners could also show popular movies on more screens. This meant they didn't have to rely on just one movie that might not do well.
Stanley changed the company's name to American Royal Cinema in 1968. But another company already used that name. So, he changed it again to American Multi-Cinema, Inc. This is where "AMC" comes from!
Stanley used ideas from business management to change the movie theater industry. He wanted to make sure every customer felt like a "guest."
AMC's Big Growth
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By the 1980s, AMC was growing very fast. In 1983, the company offered its shares to the public for the first time. This meant people could buy a small part of the company.
In 1985, AMC built its first multiplex outside the U.S. It was a 10-screen theater in the United Kingdom. They opened more theaters there. But in 1988, AMC sold its theaters in the UK and left that market for a while.
In 1995, AMC opened the first "megaplex" in North America. This was the AMC Grand 24 in Dallas, Texas. A megaplex is a huge theater complex with many screens. It can hold thousands of people! AMC kept opening more megaplexes. One of the busiest is the AMC Empire 25 in New York City near Times Square.
On December 13, 1996, AMC opened the Ontario Mills 30 in Ontario, California. This theater had 30 screens and was the largest multiplex in the world at that time. AMC's megaplexes were also very successful in other countries like Japan and Portugal. In 2002, AMC returned to the UK market by opening a 16-screen theater in Manchester.
Sometimes, AMC Theatres are used for more than just movies. Companies can use their projectors for business meetings and presentations.
In 2004, AMC Theatres was bought by some investment companies. In 2006, AMC tried to offer its shares to the public again, but it didn't happen. They tried again in 2010.
Stanley Durwood passed away in 1999. Peter Brown became the new head of the company. He was the first person outside the Durwood family to lead AMC. Later, Gerardo I. Lopez became the CEO in 2009. Under his leadership, AMC started to upgrade its theaters. They decided to put digital cinema projectors in all their screens. This meant clearer pictures and better sound.
In 2011, AMC Theatres moved its main office to a new building in Leawood, Kansas.
Wanda Group Ownership (2012–2021)
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In May 2012, a Chinese company called Wanda Group bought AMC Theatres. They paid $2.6 billion for AMC's thousands of screens in the U.S. and Canada. This deal made Wanda the largest movie theater chain in the world. Wanda Group planned to spend $500 million to make AMC theaters even better.
AMC Theatres used to have eight movie theaters in Canada. Most of these were sold to other companies or closed down.
In 2015, Adam Aron became the new president and CEO of AMC.
In March 2016, AMC Theatres announced it would buy another movie theater company called Carmike Cinemas. This deal was completed in December 2016. This made AMC the biggest movie theater chain in the United States.
In 2017, AMC CEO Adam Aron said that all Carmike Cinemas would change their names to AMC. Smaller Carmike locations became "AMC Classic." Theaters with kitchens were renamed "AMC Dine-In."
In September 2018, an investment company called Silver Lake Partners invested $600 million in AMC. This money helped AMC buy back some of the shares owned by Wanda Group. Even though Wanda owned less of the company, they still had a lot of control over AMC's board of directors.
In October 2019, AMC started offering movies to rent or buy online. This service is called AMC Theatres On Demand.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected AMC
On March 18, 2020, AMC announced that all its theaters would close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was to follow health guidelines. AMC said the theaters would be closed for at least six to twelve weeks. Many AMC employees, including the CEO, had to take a break from work.
In April 2020, AMC had a disagreement with Universal Pictures. Universal released a movie online at the same time it was in theaters. AMC said it would not show Universal's movies anymore if they kept doing this. But in July 2020, AMC and Universal worked things out. They agreed that Universal could release movies online after 17 days in theaters.
On August 20, 2020, AMC started to reopen some of its theaters in the U.S. They offered a special 15-cent ticket price to celebrate their 100th year. This was like prices from 1920! AMC also improved its air filters and cleaning systems to keep people safe.
Changes in Stock and Wanda Group's Exit
In January 2021, AMC announced it had raised a lot of new money. This helped the company get through the difficult time caused by the pandemic. The next day, AMC's stock price suddenly went up a lot. This was partly because of online communities like r/wallstreetbets on Reddit. Many individual investors bought AMC shares, which caused the price to surge.
By February 2021, Wanda Group had changed its shares. This meant they no longer had control over AMC. By May 2021, Wanda Group had almost completely left its involvement with AMC.
In June 2021, individual investors again bought a lot of AMC stock. This pushed the share price to a very high level. AMC warned people that buying these shares was risky. But even with theaters closed during the pandemic, AMC shares had gone up a lot.
In August 2021, AMC said it would start accepting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for payments. They started doing this in November 2021. By April 2022, they also accepted Dogecoin and Shiba Inu.
In August 2022, AMC announced a new type of share called "AMC Preferred Equity Units," or "APE" for short. This was a nod to the individual investors who called themselves "apes." These new shares were given to AMC shareholders.
In February 2023, AMC tried a new way to price tickets. Seats near the front were cheaper, and seats in the middle were more expensive. But in July 2023, AMC stopped this idea. They found that people still wanted to sit in the middle, even with the higher price.
In July 2023, AMC had its best week ever for ticket sales. This was thanks to the "Barbenheimer" craze, when the movies Barbie and Oppenheimer were released at the same time.
Cool Features at AMC Theatres
AMC has introduced many cool features over the years. In 1981, they patented cup holders in armrests. They also brought in stadium-style seating. This means seats are on raised levels so everyone has a clear view of the screen. In 1995, they added "Love Seat" style seating with armrests that could be moved up. This allowed two seats to be together without a barrier.
AMC has also upgraded its sound and projection systems. They use Sony Dynamic Digital Sound and RealD 3D technology for 3D movies. They have also upgraded all their screens to 4K digital projectors. This means super clear pictures!
Special Movie Experiences
Some AMC locations offer special screens and features for a higher ticket price. These include:
- Dolby Cinema: These auditoriums have amazing sound with Dolby Atmos and super clear pictures with Dolby Vision HDR. The seats are recliners with subwoofers that make you feel the movie.
- IMAX: Many AMC locations have IMAX screens. These are very large screens with powerful projectors and sound systems.
- Prime at AMC: These theaters have large screens, great sound, and reclining seats with subwoofers.
- BigD: This is a large screen format from Carmike Cinemas. It uses a 70-foot screen and stadium seating.
- RealD 3D: These auditoriums show movies in 3D using special glasses.
- XL at AMC: This is AMC's own premium format. It has 40-foot screens and 4K laser projection.
Guest Rewards Programs
AMC has a rewards program called AMC Stubs. It has different levels:
- AMC Stubs Insider: This is a free program. Members get discounts on Tuesdays and free size upgrades on popcorn and drinks.
- AMC Stubs Premiere: This costs a yearly fee. It gives you more benefits, like faster lines for tickets and snacks.
- AMC Stubs A-List: This is a monthly membership. You can watch up to 4 movies a week in any format for a set fee.
MacGuffins Bar and Lounge
Some AMC locations have a bar called MacGuffins. You can buy drinks there and either enjoy them in the lounge or take them into the movie theater. Some AMC Dine-in theaters even have MacGuffins set up like a full restaurant.
Vouchers and Gift Cards
AMC sells special tickets called Black and Yellow tickets. You can buy these in bulk at stores like Costco. They are usually cheaper than regular tickets. AMC also offers gift cards that can be used for tickets and food.
Different Types of AMC Theatres
After buying Carmike Cinemas, AMC started to group its theaters into three main types in 2017:
- AMC: These are the main theaters with regular and premium features. Some still use the Magic Johnson Theatres name as AMC Magic Johnson.
- AMC Classic: These are smaller theaters with fewer fancy features. Many of these used to be Carmike locations. They often have the old Carmike logo and slogan "America's Hometown Cinemas." Some AMC Classic locations have been updated with better food options and reclining seats.
- AMC Dine-In: These theaters offer expanded food service. You can order food and have it brought right to your seat while you watch the movie. These theaters often have reserved seating.
Other Things AMC Does
AMC has tried different partnerships. They once worked with Planet Hollywood to open movie complexes. Only one of these, in Columbus, Ohio, actually opened. It later became a regular AMC theater.
AMC also had movie theaters at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. The AMC theater at Universal Studios Hollywood's Universal CityWalk was updated and renamed "Universal Cinema, an AMC Theatre" in 2017.
AMC Independent (AMCi) is a program that helps independent films get shown in AMC theaters.
In 2021, AMC Theatres partnered with artists like Chance the Rapper, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé to release their concert films in cinemas. AMC acted as both the company showing the film and the company distributing it. This meant they didn't need big film studios in between.
In January 2022, AMC Theatres started selling popcorn for delivery. They also planned to sell popcorn in supermarkets. This was to help the company make money after the pandemic affected movie theaters.
In March 2022, AMC Theatres bought a share in a gold and silver mining company called Hycroft Mining. This was a surprising move for a movie theater company!
AMC's Acquisitions
AMC has bought many other movie theater chains over the years. This has helped it grow into the huge company it is today.
- In 2002, AMC bought General Cinema Corporation and Gulf States Theaters.
- In 2003, they acquired MegaStar Theatres.
- In 2006, AMC merged with Loews Cineplex Entertainment to form AMC Entertainment. This added the Loews and American Cineplex chains, plus Magic Johnson Theatres.
- In 2010, AMC bought Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, LLC.
- In 2015, Starplex Cinemas was sold to AMC. Most of these theaters are now AMC Classic locations.
- In 2016, AMC bought Carmike Cinemas, becoming the largest movie theater chain in the U.S.
- Also in 2016, AMC bought UCI & Odeon Cinema Group in Europe.
- In 2017, AMC bought Nordic Cinema Group, a big movie theater company in Nordic and Baltic countries.
- In 2021 and 2022, AMC acquired leases for several former Pacific Theatres and Arclight Cinemas locations. These included theaters in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Boston.
- In April 2022, AMC Theaters acquired seven Bow Tie Cinemas locations in Connecticut, New York, and Maryland.
Images for kids
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AMC Promenade 16 megaplex in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, California, which closed on June 1, 2022 and replaced by AMC Dine-In Topanga 12 in Canoga Park, which opened on the next day
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The original appearance of AMC Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX in Universal City, California. It was rebranded and renovated as "Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood" in 2017.
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The mall entrance to AMC Garden State 16 with IMAX at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey
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AMC 30 at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio in 2008. This was converted into AMC Dine-In Easton Town Center 30 in 2012.
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AMC Broadway Plaza 12 in Birmingham, United Kingdom in 2007. This location became Odeon Birmingham Broadway Plaza in 2012 and became Odeon Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza in 2018.
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AMC Palisades 21 (formerly a Loews, later branded as an "AMC Loews" before renovation) at Palisades Center shopping mall in West Nyack, New York
See also
In Spanish: AMC Theatres para niños
- Cinemark Theatres
- Cineworld
- Regal Cinemas
