AMC CEO Says Company Is Mulling Over Text-Friendly Movie Theaters
Adam Aron tweeted AMC would test this option in "very few screens."
— -- Update: AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron changed his position Friday, saying the company is no longer considering this option.
It was once the cardinal sin of movie theater lovers -- texting during a film.
Movie previews creatively reminded and suggested and pretty much ordered folks to turn off their cell phones before a film begins, but are text-friendly movie theaters on the way?
AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron said the movie theater chain is set to test it out to appeal to millennials.
"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," he told Variety.
Instead of a text-friendly section in a movie theater, Aron suggests that AMC will take "specific auditoriums and make them more texting friendly."
If you're upset with even the thought of a cell phone's blue light disrupting your movie-watching experience, don't fret. Aron, 61, said he's keeping traditional movie-watching in mind.
"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," he said. "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."
Aron echoed the same sentiment, and seemed to quell backlash against his concept of new text-friendly movie theaters, on Twitter.
"Press reported we['re] considering a test allowing texts in a VERY FEW screens. We know vast majority of audience wants no texting," he said today. "IF ever, we ONLY would pursue in a way we'd be TOTALLY confident ALL our guests will fully enjoy movie going experience at AMC."
In a statement today to ABC News, AMC explained that movie lovers shouldn't expect any changes in the near future, saying "there is no specific timeframe as to when we might introduce such a test, if ever."
"We would only introduce a concept like this when we are totally confident that we can fully satisfy the desires of our current guests," the statement added.