(NEXSTAR) – Batman’s Batsuits and Batarangs aren’t going to pay for themselves.
Adam Aron, the CEO of AMC Entertainment, has confirmed that ticket prices for “The Batman” will cost more than those for other movies playing at AMC Theaters this weekend.
Aron said the move was part of a “variable pricing” initiative that AMC will be implementing in 2022 and beyond.
“Currently, our prices for ‘The Batman,’ which opens this week, are slightly higher than the prices we’re charging for other movies playing in the same theaters at the same time,” Aron said in an earnings call earlier this week. “This is all quite novel in the United States, but actually AMC has been doing it for years in our European theaters.”
Aron also described AMC as a “bold thinker in the area of pricing” after referencing the chain’s recent successes with raising weekend pricing at U.S. locations, and its existing practice of charging a premium for more sought-after seats in its European theaters, perhaps hinting at future initiatives stateside.
Aron didn’t say how much extra moviegoers can expect to pay during this weekend’s screening of “The Batman,” but a quick search for tickets on AMC’s website indicates that select theaters in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles are charging between $1 and $1.50 more for a standard digital screening.
In addition to AMC’s variable pricing, Aron announced several initiatives aimed at building the AMC brand into “something much greater than solely a movie theater operator.” Among them, AMC will launch new NFTs and begin accepting new forms of cryptocurrencies — and perhaps even issuing its own. Perhaps most interestingly, Aron said AMC will soon be offering its pre-popped popcorn via “food delivery-to-home services” and at mall-based retail locations. Pre-packaged and microwave popcorn products will also be available at supermarkets and convenience stores, according to Aron.
“Watch out, Orville Redenbacher, baby,” he said.