Movie theaters have been hit very hard during the pandemic, either by not being allowed to open, or nobody wanting to venture out due to the risk posed by COVID-19. So AMC is thinking outside the box and offering a personal experience for you, your friends, and your family.
As CNN reports, AMC has decided to start offering personal or party screening experiences, where you can reserve an entire "AMC Safe & Clean" auditorium for yourself from just $99 plus tax. It means you can literally have a theater to yourself to watch a movie, or share it with up to 20 people, allowing for a family gathering or friends to meet up. The risk of coronavirus is still there, but you're only going to be sitting with people you know, not strangers.
Booking your personal experience requires filling out an Events Inquiry Form and then waiting for an AMC representative to get in touch. That can take up to three business days and bookings need to be at least one full week before your visit, so it's not something you can choose to do at a moment's notice. You also need to pay in advance and no drinks or food can be brought to the theater—all beverages and snacks still need to be purchased from AMC.
As well as expensive food and drink, that $99 rental price is the lowest you'll pay. The final cost depends on which movie you want to watch, the theater location, and any additional options chosen. Older movie showings start at $99, but the private theater rental can increase to $349 if you want to watch a new movie such as Tenet, for example. If you want a microphone to welcome your party guests, that's an extra $100. Want more than 15 minutes to enter the auditorium? That's an extra $250 per 30 minutes.
AMC's offer is sure to prove popular with anyone desperate to enjoy entertainment outside of their home this year and tired of only chatting with friends over video chat. However, if you're in New York, Alaska, or Hawaii, you're out of luck as AMC is not making this personal experience available to you.