AMC beats revenue forecasts as premium screens draw moviegoers back

AMC Entertainment is finding that moviegoers will still leave home for the right kind of spectacle. The chain reported first-quarter revenue of $1.05 billion and said premium formats, a stronger early-2026 film slate and new pricing tactics helped draw audiences back into theaters.

The result beat analysts’ average estimate of $968.5 million and sent AMC shares up more than 2% in extended trading. The company posted a loss of 36 cents per share, in line with expectations, as it continued to show signs of stabilization after years of pandemic-era disruption. For a business that remains far from its pre-pandemic footing, the quarter suggested that theaters can still command spending when the experience feels event-level rather than routine.

AMC’s numbers came from a circuit that now spans about 850 theaters and 9,600 screens globally. The company describes itself as the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, Europe and the world, and it is leaning harder into that scale by expanding IMAX, Dolby Cinema and its own XL-branded screens. That premium push is central to AMC’s pitch: if audiences are selective about what justifies a trip out, the screen itself has to be part of the draw.

The strategy appears to be working alongside a better slate. AMC said early 2026 benefited from Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, which the company said posted the biggest opening weekend of the year at AMC Theatres. Looking ahead, AMC is pointing to titles such as Avatar: Fire and Ash and Scream 7 as evidence that the year’s second half could keep box office momentum alive. Adam Aron has said the company expects robust growth and believes the industry could be heading toward a record post-pandemic box office in 2026.

AMC is also trying to turn theaters into more than movie houses. The company announced Arena One at AMC, a live concert format set to launch in June 2026 as a nationwide, interactive, real-time event platform. That broadens AMC’s ambition at a moment when the movie business is still dependent on fewer, bigger releases to drive traffic.

The quarter showed the gap AMC still has to close. Even with revenue up and losses narrowing from a year earlier, the company remains tied to the health of blockbuster supply. The question now is whether premium screens and a steadier release calendar can make the rebound last, or whether theaters will need another stretch of scarce event films to keep audiences coming back.