AMC Warns Moviegoers That Films Won’t Start for 30 Minutes Due to Ads, Trailers, and More

If you’ve ever gone to the movies and felt like the trailers were never going to end, AMC Theatres now wants you to know it’s not just your imagination. That long wait before the movie actually starts is very real, and now they’re being upfront about it.

When you go to buy tickets on AMC’s app or website, there’s a clear message letting you know what’s coming. Right under the showtime, it says: “Movies start 25-30 minutes after showtime.” This message is part of a new update that AMC has added, probably to give people a better idea of what to expect when they show up for a movie.

This change didn’t come out of nowhere. Fans have been talking about long pre-show times for years. Previews, ads, and theater promos have always been a part of the moviegoing experience, but recently it seems like they’ve stretched even longer.

Online reactions have been all over the place. Some people were surprised AMC even made the change. One person asked, “I’m sorry were people unaware of this previously?” Others felt this move might actually make things worse. One commenter said, “This will present the opposite effect of what they’re trying to accomplish. The percentage of ppl going to movie theaters will significantly decrease now.”

Some viewers are worried about timing and being confused by the new system. One person commented, “[I] need an exact time, if I arrive 30 minutes in expecting to catch the start and wind up missing 5 minutes of the actual film, there’s gonna be an issue.” Another person, who enjoys the previews, posted, “Best part of the movie.”

But not everyone is happy with the way AMC is dealing with it. A few movie fans think the problem isn’t about warning people, it’s about fixing the schedule altogether. One user said, “Here’s an idea… Don’t add a note about how the movies always start late. How about just make the time when the movie DOES start the actual published ‘showtime’!”

As of now, AMC hasn’t said anything about changing how many trailers they show or how long the wait will be. They’re just letting people know ahead of time so they don’t feel rushed when heading into the theater.

So if you’ve got a movie night planned at AMC, you can relax a little if you’re running behind. Just remember that while you might not miss the start of the film, you’ll still be sitting through nearly half an hour of ads and previews.

And who knows? Maybe one of those trailers will get you excited for your next trip to the movies. Or maybe you’ll be that person in the lobby saying, “We’ve got time, the movie doesn’t actually start yet.”

Let us know what you think in the comments.