Elijah Wood Speaks Out Against AMC Theatres for Ticket Price Changes

By Daniel S. Levine

Elijah Wood was among the many who criticized AMC Theatres' controversial new plan to charge moviegoers different ticket prices based on the seats they chose. On Monday, AMC unveiled Sightline, a new feature that will offer lower ticket prices for those sitting in the front rows and higher prices for those sitting in the middle of the auditoriums. The initiative is expected to kick in this weekend in select cities and will roll out to all AMC locations by the end of 2023.

"The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by [AMC] would essentially penalize people for lower-income and reward for higher-income," Wood wrote. The actor responded to others who felt AMC was not doing anything out of the ordinary. When one person noted that it was not really based on income, but instead on people's willingness to pay, Wood added that "Those that can only afford less (or are less willing to pay a premium) will get worse seats than those who can and want to pay more. I'm not sure this benefits anyone really."

"This is absurdly stupid & only creates unnecessary classism," Seth Green tweeted. "[AMC] clearly focused on squeezing new profits anywhere possible. Trying to get people back into theaters? Don't penalize folks with less to spend."

The Sightline pricing will be available for showtimes after 4 p.m. and not available on Discount Tuesdays. The Standard Sightline seating includes the most commonly used seats and will be available at traditional ticket prices. Value Sightline seats will be cheaper and are located mostly at the front of the auditoriums. Preferred Sightline seats are in the middle of auditoriums. The Value Sightline seating is only available for AMC Stubs and AMC Insider members. AMC A-List members will have the Preferred Sightline premium waived for all reservations.

"Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC's seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies," Eliot Hamlisch, EVP and CMO of AMC Theatres, said in a statement Monday. "While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing moviegoing experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value moviegoing. Sightline at AMC accommodates both sentiments to help ensure that our guests have more control over their experience so that every trip to an AMC is a great one."

This is the latest pricing tweak AMC has tried out as the company continues struggling amid the COVID pandemic. Last year, the company charged $1 to $2 more to see Robert Pattinson's The Batman on opening weekend, notes Variety. Last weekend, Paramount endorsed AMC's decision to charge matinee prices for every screening of 80 For Brady, the new comedy starring Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, and Lily Tomlin.

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