AMC Entertainment said it welcomed 25.5 million guests to its AMC Theatres and ODEON Cinemas in May 2026, the company’s highest-attended May since 2019.
The boost followed a busy holiday weekend: AMC said it received more than 4.2 million moviegoers across its U.S. AMC Theatres and international ODEON Cinemas from May 28 to May 31. Backrooms opened to a media-reported $81 million domestically, marking the sixth film in the past ten weeks to debut above $75 million — a stretch that AMC traces back to March 20, when titles such as The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Michael, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary began posting high openings.
Adam Aron, AMC’s chairman and CEO, put the performance in blunt terms: "Week after week in 2026, it's been clear that as Hollywood has been releasing well-made and well-marketed movies, moviegoers have been pouring out in droves to enjoy the incomparable magic of the big screen experience that we offer in our theatres." He added, "With our welcoming 25.5 million guests to our theatres in May of 2026, we posted our most highly attended May since 2019, both domestically and globally."
AMC noted the scale of its network as part of the result: the company operates approximately 855 theatres and 9,640 screens worldwide, a reach the company says helped translate strong weekend demand into a month-long attendance peak rather than a single big weekend.
The chain also flagged momentum within its lineup: AMC said Obsession increased its domestic box office gross for two consecutive weekends, and that Backrooms was the sixth $75 million-plus opener in ten weeks. Looking ahead, Aron listed a near-term slate the company expects to sustain traffic: "Undoubtedly, you will understand and appreciate our enthusiasm when you look at the line up of just some of the films coming to our theatres over the next five weekends: SCARY MOVIE (June 5); MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (June 5); DISCLOSURE DAY (June 12); TOY STORY 5 (June 19); SUPERGIRL (June 26); and MINIONS & MONSTERS (July 1) along with many other interesting titles that will be gracing our screens."
That pattern — repeated high-opening weekends and strong holiday-period attendance — is the core explanation AMC offered for May’s tally. The company framed May as part of a broader 2026 run in which domestic box office results have "met and repeatedly exceeded expectations," a sequence it says is keeping theaters busy across the globe.
But the attendance spike leaves a material open question: how much of the surge in moviegoers converted into improved financial results. A supplementary report showed AMC Entertainment Holdings stock jumped 22.5% on the day and 40.4% over the week, even as the company’s one-year total shareholder return remained down 38.4% and it continued to report ongoing losses — $547.4 million on $5,031.8 million in revenue in the most recent filings.
Those figures underline the mismatch between strong box office snapshots and longer-term profitability. AMC has demonstrated that well-timed releases and a large global footprint can drive month-long attendance records; what remains unresolved is the extent to which that traffic will improve cash flow, narrow operating losses, or change the company’s financial trajectory over the next reporting period.
The next concrete test for that question will arrive in the coming weekends and the company’s next earnings disclosures: sustained attendance from the June and early-July slate — and the revenue those ticket sales and concessions produce — will determine whether May is a peak in a durable rebound or a high-water mark that leaves broader losses intact.
