Does heartbreak still feel good in a place like this? Presumably it does, though the oft-repeated and now-infamous line from AMC Theatres’ long-running campaign with Nicole Kidman is missing from a new version of the ad that dropped today.
The tweaked spot, which still showcases the Oscar-winning spokeswoman in the bedazzled pantsuit that inspired Halloween costume knock-offs, has a few updates in its fourth year of life.
For instance, Kidman recites the earnest monologue over on-screen clips of Avatar: The Way of Water and Elvis, taking over for La La Land and Creed from the original spot that launched in 2021, kicking off an unprecedented $25 million marketing effort and becoming a viral blockbuster.
The dialogue is slightly different and possibly less meme worthy, with Kidman waxing on about “that indescribable feeling when the lights begin to dim—dazzling images on a huge silver screen, beautiful music soaring through me.”
‘That’s magic’
The kicker has become “That’s magic,” but the setup and the bones are similar to the campy-serious anthem that has kept moviegoers hooting and cheering, sometimes ironically, since it nudged consumers to come back in person in fall 2021 after Covid-era shutdowns. The tagline, “We make movies better,” remains, though the new ad is 30 seconds versus the 60-second OG commercial.
During an earnings call earlier this week, AMC CEO Adam Aron said there would be two more versions of the Kidman ad, with a theater spokesman telling ADWEEK on Friday that those spots will premiere later this year.
No word yet on their scripts, though Oscar-nominated screenwriter Billy Ray has said publicly that he’s been working on the sequels.
‘New ad who dis?’
Reaction so far on social media is generally enthusiastic, with some fans saying “this is better than Christmas” and declaring the ad “the best scene before movies start” and “I truly hope that y’all keep Nicole Kidman’s introduction for movies for the remainder of Eternity,” said one commenter on X.
Others had higher expectations: “Please they only changed one word?????? I wanted a whole new monologue,” said one fan, while another quipped: “New ad who dis?”
