Frank Darabont (The Mist, Shawshank Redemption) has been battling AMC in court for nearly a decade trying to get money owed from AMC Network as he was due to earn profits from the show The Walking Dead series, a billion-dollar franchise. Darabont was the writer/director that helped develop and launch the zombie drama series back in 2010 and essentially made AMC their name alongside Vince Gilligan’s superb Breaking Bad.
Yesterday, it was announced (via Variety) that AMC had settled with Darabont and CAA for $200 million.
The deal calls for AMC Networks to pay Darabont and CAA a total of $200 million. They will continue to receive a share of future profits from streaming deals tied to “The Walking Dead” and spinoff “Fear the Walking Dead.” But for all other “Walking Dead”-related content, the settlement buys out the plaintiffs’ rights.
Interestingly enough, Frank Darabont isn’t the only one suing to get their Walking Dead money from AMC as Gale Anne Herd, Glen Mazzara, Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, and Charles Eglee are also fighting them in court and launched their own suits back in 2017.
After Darabont and CAA filed the first salvo, “Walking Dead” executive producers Gale Anne Hurd, comic book creator Robert Kirkman, showrunner Glen Mazzara and exec producers David Alpert and Charles Eglee filed a similar suit in 2017. That suit is still pending in Los Angeles Superior Court, with a trial expected to begin in November.
Everyone involved is rightfully owed money and AMC for whatever decided to stiff the majority of people involved with the series. Hopefully, they don’t have to wait a decade to see results. It’s amazing how much money AMC must have wasted on legal fees to only end up paying $200 million in the end, it’s almost like they should have honored the contracts to begin with. I guess greed is a huge motivator.
Theater chains Cinemark, Regal, and AMC have released their new “safety policies” for reopening theaters but none are making masks worn by patrons a requirement.
UPDATE: AMC is reversing their policy via Variety and are now requiring guests to wear masks after backlash from CEO Adam Aron’s comments from yesterday.
“This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of mask. At AMC Theatres, we think it is absolutely crucial that we listen to our guests. Accordingly, and with the full support of our scientific advisors, we are reversing course and are changing our guest mask policy. As we reopen theatres, we now will require that all AMC guests nationwide wear masks as they enter and enjoy movies at our theatres. The speed with which AMC moved to revise our mask policies is a reflection of our commitment to the safety and health of our guests.”
UPDATE: Regal Cinemas via Deadline has also reversed their policy and will now require patrons to wear masks.
“As related to our employees, guests will also be required to wear masks. Disposable masks will be made available as needed.”
In a new Cinemark reopening video, CEO Mark Zoradi completely omits the mentioning of wearing masks in the actual theater space where it actually counts the most.
CINEMARK: “We welcome you to wear face masks in lobbies, hallways and restrooms.”
Six patrons pictured in Cinemark’s safety video only two are wearing masks.
You can watch that video below and you’ll notice that he doesn’t once mention wearing masks in the screening room.
This is odd since they’re requiring employees to wear masks at all times and it clearly is still a key CDC recommendation on their website (cloth face coverings) as a preventative measure to stop the spread of COVID-19. Cinemark, Regal, and now AMC aren’t requiring masks of patrons, it comes off as they’re willfully ignoring a key safety measure.
Dr. Anthony Fauci still is advising Americans to wear masks.
It’s also worth mentioning that social distancing alone isn’t as effective in an enclosed indoor space because you don’t have the same airflow as outdoors and a study from the Journal of American Medical Association that 6 feet might not even be enough to be safe from droplets as they can travel as far as 23-27 feet. If you consider that masks would help prevent this, why gamble and not make it a requirement?
Here are some reasons why that is happening.
Sitting at the top of the list is simply making sure theaters are still able to make money from concession sales. If they promote the idea it’s dangerous to not to wear masks inside the theater it will discourage patrons from feeling comfortable enough to buy food and drinks at concession, then removing their masks to consume those concession products. One of the biggest ways theaters earn revenue is from concession sales and it comes off like they’re willing to risk the health of patrons for popcorn sales.
This is extremely counterproductive and straight-up dangerous.
The biggest glaring issue seems to be that theaters are more worried about offending a small segment of anti-science patrons that don’t believe in the preventative measure or even that COVID-19 is even real/that bad. We’ve all seen the videos of people freaking out when they’re told to wear masks at grocery stories and restaurants.
That’s the thing, businesses make the policy and it’s their responsibility to keep costumers safe.
This idea has been circulated by Trump and the White House that wearing a mask isn’t important or necessary. Trump actively refusing to wear a mask in public (on camera) even when it was required of him like a Ford planet he visited during the thick of the pandemic. President Trump has also been sharing months of incorrect theories and life-threatening treatments have added to the confusion leading to armed protests against the lockdown measures meant to protect Americans from dying.
Trump is asking his rally attendees in Tulsa, Oklahoma to sign COVID-19 waivers to not sue the campaign if they get sick or die. Also, making masks “optional” while his own CDC and medical experts believe it’s dangerous. They’re also likely going to ignore social distancing which the President seemingly doesn’t believe in.
The reality of the situation is that the American death troll from COVID-19 is currently 120,000+ and is expected to reach 200,000 by September/October. People are dying and asymptomatic people (those that feel fine without symptoms) are spreading it more rapidly leading to the recent spike in new cases across the country.
Masks are meant to protect others and if people aren’t willing to be that considerate for human life, why take their money?
AMC CEO Adam Aron during a recent interview with Variety claims that requiring patrons to wear masks would be placing the company into a “political controversy”, instead of backing a preventive measure during a massive public health crisis. Adding to the idea they’re more concerned about offending than keeping people safe.
Here is the CEO’s exact quote and some context provided by Variety.
AMC will not mandate that all guests wear masks, although employees will be required to do so. Nor will AMC perform temperature checks on customers, though it will monitor its employees’ temperatures and have them undergo screenings to check for signs of coronavirus. The situation will be different in states and cities that require residents to wear a mask when they’re in public, but Aron said that AMC was wary of wading into a public health issue that has become politicized.
ARON: “We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy. We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary. We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example.”
AMC will also sell masks for a dollar to guests who forgot to bring one. Both Cinemark and Regal are encouraging guests to wear masks, but not requiring it in states and areas where it is not mandated.
AMC is said to be on the brink of bankruptcy and being extremely desperate to make money again might be why they’re cutting corners to get as many dollars through their doors as possible even if it puts others at risk and in harm’s way. Their motivations are most likely are short term and monetary.
At the end of the day, they can clean all they want but if asymptomatic patrons aren’t properly protecting others in public spaces by required mask wearing, theaters are opening themselves to outbreaks of coronavirus and lawsuits.
Public heath isn’t political it’s about keeping everyone safe and wearing masks will help preventing more Americans dying as pointed out by medical experts and the government. This only makes theaters less appealing and myself less likely to support them in the future.
We’ve all seen studios, exhibitors, and even moviegoers placing their guesses when the eventual widespread reopening of theaters will happening nationwide in the United States. As a majority of theaters have closed after cases of Coronavirus exploded over the last couple of months with the American death toll inching towards 110,000 via Johns Hopkins and counting.
There are more concrete ideas when the push for reopening could happen.
Earlier in the week, the National Association of Theater Operators told Business Insider they expect to have 90% of theaters open by mid-July.
The assumption is that this could allow Warner Bros. to open Christopher Nolan’s Tenet as planned on July 17th. However, a recent trailer meant to promote Tenet’s release didn’t mention a date or season, just the vague statement “Coming To Theaters”.
The vague promotion for the first “big summer blockbuster” led many of us to consider that Warner Bros. might be delaying the release like their other films but is holding back on announcing a new date.
There was a recent announcement that Cinemark, the third-largest theater chain in the United States would be forgoing requirements for guests to wear masks in their theaters via The Wrap. Only requiring their employees to do so and are said to be opening a handful of locations in Texas on June 19th for their “test phase”.
The bizarre mask policy is simply puzzling given this would put not only put costumers at risk but puts their employees in harm’s way too, as it’s been pointed out by medical experts that masks only prevent the wearer from spreading droplets themselves. It has been pointed out that masks don’t completely protect from droplet exposure from others if they cough or sneeze indoors and it is even worse if guests aren’t wearing them when sitting a room amongst each other.
High-traffic places like grocery stores (theaters will likely be selling food and drink when they reopen) are mostly requiring customers to wear masks, so it’s odd that theaters where people won’t be in-and-out but stilling in place for multiple hours with strangers they’re not taking the CDC recommendations into consideration. Hopefully, they will reconsider given the reactions I’ve seen from industry people and normal moviegoers.
We’re indeed seeing some places in America having a decrease in new COVID cases, which is good news when we’re struggling to find tidbits given current events. Yet, the country is still open for domestic travel between states and this means plenty of asymptomatic citizens are moving about city-to-city/state-to-state then returning to their communities. Other places in the country are seeing increases.
COVID-19 is neither under control or defeated. That seems to be an assumption made because the news coverage hasn’t been as focused on the pandemic, for obvious reasons. The protests could realistically lead to spikes alongside places that attempted to reopen or simply didn’t really put any social distancing or stay at home orders in place, to begin with.
Having large crowds gathering so frequently over the last couple of days alone should make exhibitors nervous about reopening given that new cases could be going unreported/tested, large crowds are hardly social distancing and many people aren’t wearing masks. The assumption being that we could see spikes all over the country in the next two weeks.
What could be worse than not reopening over the summer for the industry?
Cinemark’s push to get their locations open isn’t without cause. There some experts that are claiming AMC is on the brink of bankruptcy and it’s possible could have to be sold-off to survive. It’s a crystal clear example that the larger chains are going to be in more trouble in the long-term.
Fears of chains going under aren’t unfounded.
However, opening too soon or pushing forward with laissez-faire safety measures could lead to multiple outbreaks and clusters. Another true concern is that theaters could be a hot-spot for the resurgence and spread of COVID-19.
I’m curious if that risk is worth the terrible PR of people getting sick at establishments and potentially dying. Stories like that could end up scaring people away already on-the-fence about returning to a closed space like that for a prolonged period of time. As patrons might leave to never return at all once you lose their trust.
I doubt Regal, AMC, or Cinemark want their brands to be connected to a public outbreak of Coronavirus via contact tracing or worse leading to multiple deaths. Clusters and spikes could even contribute to a second wave of the Coronavirus, going back to square one over the summer could be devastating given how much it has already cost in the way of jobs and lives.
I think we’re all eager to get back to normality and plenty of people are ready to get back to malls/theaters even if they’re willing to accept the risk. I’m curious if they’re considering the multiple people that will come in contact with them that didn’t agree to that risk.
Solutions?
I know it can sound overwhelming negative to hear someone with the position it’s too soon. But I’m also bringing a couple of ideas to the table. The easiest thing to do is simply wait a little longer, potentially sometime in the fall, until things have genuinely quieted down and also beef-up safety standards just in case.
I’ve suggested in the past bringing back the classic drive-in format and it’s actually a solid way for people to social distance than you would in a traditional indoor location. I know it sounds like a retro idea but its the best amount of separation between moviegoers. Plastic barriers and spread out seats aren’t going to mean much if droplets linger in the air, it’s more of an illusion of safety if we’re being honest.
Plenty of theaters have existing parking lots, you just have to set up a screen, and a way to stream the audio into vehicles via an app or radio.
Because patrons are expected to stick to their own vehicle masks don’t really factor in unless you have people not living together sharing close space in a vehicle and they’d likely be doing that regardless. The only real issue I would see with that could be restroom access and if you’d have to set up some sort of drive-thru concession stand.
Stricter protection measures could also be another common-sense idea. Requiring masks and potentially providing them for guests (free of charge) that might find it cumbersome to get their own.
I’m a moviegoer just like many of you, however, I will be patiently waiting until the fall/winter to see how things go with the second wave before jumping into the deep end concerning seeing a film in a traditional theater at the moment. I don’t really feel like being a guinea pig for the film industry and I get the impression others will simply wait it out as well.
While I miss the experience I feel like I’d miss my loved ones more or putting my own health in a compromised position for something as arbitrary as a night out at the movies isn’t terribly appealing to me.
THE RONIN 