AMC Theatres is abandoning a tiered-pricing plan to charge more for better seats in its theaters, the company said Thursday. Initially announced in February, “Sightline at AMC” proposed to divide seats into three categories: a baseline “Standard,” up-charged “Preferred” seats in the middle of the theater, and discounted “Value” seats in the front row. AMC’s pilot of the program, however, revealed moviegoers still opted for the premium seats even with the boosted price and avoided front-row tickets despite the temptation of saving a few bucks, according to CNN. Instead, the company wants to explore other strategies to make that dreaded front row more desirable for consumers with “spacious front row seating with extensive seat recline,” a statement from AMC read. When first shared with the public, AMC’s pricing initiative faced backlash from all across the internet, most notably from Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood. “The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by @AMCTheatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income,” he tweeted at the time.
