AMC Theaters Smashes Pre-Christmas Box Office Records with 4 Million+ Guests, Signaling Holiday Moviegoing Surge

AMC Theatres (NYSE: AMC) is ringing in the holiday season on a high note after posting its strongest week of 2025, welcoming nearly 6.9 million moviegoers worldwide during the Thanksgiving frame thanks to family hits “Zootopia 2” and “Wicked: For Good.” The surge marked the chain’s busiest Wednesday and Friday of the year and helped drive an 11 percent weekly rally in AMC stock—even as shares remain off their January highs—spotlighting renewed momentum for the world’s largest cinema operator. Key highlights fueling the rebound • Record Thanksgiving traffic: U.S. locations drew 5.5 million patrons, while 1.3 million more visited Odeon sites overseas, reinforcing consumer appetite for premium big-screen experiences. • Blockbuster pipeline: December debuts such as “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” are expected to sustain foot-traffic gains well into 2026. • Loyalty sweetener: The just-launched AMC Popcorn Pass offers Stubs members 50 percent off large popcorn for $29.99 a year, a concession-margin booster timed to capitalize on rising attendance. Strategic capital moves In parallel with its box-office resurgence, AMC monetized a non-core investment by selling the majority of its 2022 stake in Hycroft Mining for $24.1 million. CEO Adam Aron said redeploying that cash into core theatrical initiatives—from recliner upgrades to laser projection—better positions the exhibitor for sustained growth while retaining upside through more than one million Hycroft warrants. Financial snapshot Third-quarter revenue reached $1.3 billion, beating Wall Street estimates and narrowing net losses, underscoring management’s focus on operational efficiencies and higher per-patron spending. Analysts note that stabilizing Hollywood release schedules and AMC’s premium formats (IMAX, Dolby, PRIME at AMC) are lifting average ticket prices and concession sales. What to watch next 1. Box-office trajectory: Early December presales for “Avatar: Fire and Ash” are pacing ahead of 2022’s “The Way of Water,” hinting at another record holiday slate. 2. Popcorn Pass adoption: Uptake levels will reveal how effectively AMC can translate subscription-style perks into recurring concession revenue. 3. Balance-sheet health: Proceeds from the Hycroft sale and ongoing debt-refinancing efforts could lower interest expense and accelerate the path to profitability. Bottom line AMC Theatres is closing 2025 with fresh tailwinds—historic holiday attendance, a blockbuster calendar, innovative food-and-beverage offers and a sharper balance sheet. Combined, these catalysts are reigniting investor enthusiasm and positioning the cinema giant to headline Wall Street’s reopening narrative well into 2026.