Recently, we saw AMC Theatres, the largest cinema chain in the world, follow the lead of Regal Cinemas and Cinemark with announcing that facemasks will not be required by customers when the theaters reopen in July. This comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world’s cinemas to shut down for months. But not all theater chains are following suit, as Alamo Drafthouse announces its own mask requirement.
READ MORE: AMC Calls Facemasks A “Political Controversy” & Won’t Require Them For Cinema Reopening
In a social media post, the Alamo Drafthouse chain, with locations all around the US, revealed that the company’s locations will require masks to be worn by “teammates and guests” and if a customer doesn’t have one, a mask will be provided.
“When we open, the safety of our teammates and guests cannot be compromised. This is not political,” the statement said. “We will require that guests wear masks at the theater [except when eating and drinking]. Those without masks will be given one.”
There’s no doubt the statement was prompted by AMC’s revelation about not requiring a mask at its locations. Unlike Cinemark and Regal, who announced almost identical plans, AMC came under fire because the CEO of the company said the decision to not require masks is due to the chain wanting to avoid “political controversy.” As you might expect, this is a statement that garnered quite a bit of criticism as people were upset that the world’s largest cinema chain is forgoing one of the most effective tools in avoiding the spreading of the COVID-19 virus because the company sees it as a political statement.
So, building off of that “non-statement” is the Alamo Drafthouse coming out unequivocally in support of a mask requirement, hoping that customers that are upset with AMC, Regal, and Cinemark will choose the smaller chain instead.
It’ll be interesting to see how this controversy continues to play out. Will other smaller chains follow Alamo and require masks? Or will AMC, Regal, and Cinemark see the bad publicity and second-guess their own requirements? We shall see. But for now, it appears that Alamo Drafthouse is hoping to be seen as the safest way to enjoy the movies.