AMC to Cut Bloated 30-Minute Pre-Show Runtime Following Backlash

Sources are telling Deadline that AMC theaters, the country’s largest movie exhibition chain, is quietly working behind the scenes to shorten its bloated pre-show content, perhaps even by the end of the year.

AMC had been quietly expanding its pre-movie “experience,” which now includes up to 30 minutes of ad content and trailers before a single frame of the actual film played. Last month, the chain even slapped a disclaimer to allow for “25–30 minutes” of ads and trailers before the actual movie starts.

Studios weren’t amused. For them, trailers are still one of the last surefire ways to get people to care about an upcoming release. And now they’re watching audiences time their arrivals to miss them entirely.

Some studios even commissioned internal research last month, tracking pre-show runtimes across the country. One wide release reportedly saw pre-shows running between 24 to 28 minutes.

According to internal studio data shared with, only 20% of viewers were seated at the listed showtime during a June screening of “28 Years Later” in Chicago. It took another 12 minutes to get most of the crowd inside, and the place didn’t fill up until just before the movie started.

It’s worth noting that independent theaters and chains like Alamo Drafthouse often cap their pre-show content at a more reasonable 10-15 minutes. Maybe that’s part of why they’re seeing growing loyalty among the more discerning crowd.

However, here’s the thing: if the theatrical experience starts to feel too stretched out, people will eventually stop showing up. Studios are already pouring money into trailer placements. If no one’s watching them, what’s the point? The more AMC tries to milk short-term ad dollars, the more they risk alienating the very system they depend on to survive.

It seems like studio pressure has made them change their tune, and it’s all for the better.