Some Movie Theaters Won’t Close for Days to Show ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Around the Clock
AMC announced today that it had sold more advance tickets for “Avengers: Endgame” than any other movie in history, and the theater chain has a plan to meet all that demand: keeping some locations open 24 hours a day. 17 locations won’t close once from Thursday night until Sunday, 29 will be open around the clock on Thursday and Friday, and 18 more will keep their doors open through either Thursday through Saturday or Friday Through Sunday.
Such a move is incredibly rare, though it has happened at least once before: in 1965, when the James Bond film “Thunderball” arrived in theaters. That film, adjusted for inflation, was a bigger hit than “The Dark Knight” 43 years later.
“With a desire to satisfy as many Marvel fans as possible on Thursday and through the weekend, AMC’s programming team is reviewing ticket sales theater by theater and adding showtimes later and later,” Elizabeth Frank, AMC executive vice president of worldwide programming, said in a statement. “In fact, there are multiple AMC locations that will be operating around the clock from Thursday night through Sunday.” If ever you wanted to see a movie at 2:30 in the morning, now’s your chance.
The film — which, at just over three hours long, is the longest in Marvel history — is preceded by 21 others in its shared universe and marks the end of an era despite the franchise itself showing no signs of slowing. A direct sequel to last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” which made more than $2 billion worldwide, it’s expected to outgross its predecessor and shatter a number of box-office records in addition to the pre-sale records it’s already broken.
“Infinity War” ended on a massive cliffhanger, raising anticipation for “Endgame” even higher than it would have been. Everyone involved with the film has been verboten from revealing plot details as a result, with directors Anthony and Joe Russo publishing an open letter urging fans not to spoil the experience for others after some footage leaked online. “Because so many of you have invested your time, your hearts, and your souls into these stories, we’re once again asking for your help,” the letter rads in part. “When you see ‘Endgame’ in the coming weeks, please don’t spoil it for others, the same way you wouldn’t want it spoiled for you. Remember, Thanos still demands your silence.”
Disney will release “Avengers: Endgame” in theaters this Friday, April 26.
