Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

Regal will check moviegoers’ bags in the aim for a safer theater experience

Chris Leo Palermino
By

regal theaters will check moviegoers bags in response to attacks cinemas imax theatre
Anthony22 / wikipedia.org
In response to the string of violent attacks at movie theaters nationwide recently, Regal Theaters will now be checking moviegoers’ bags as an added precaution. Regal, which operates the largest theater chain in the U.S., announced the change this week.

“Security issues have become a daily part of our lives in America,” explained the movie theater chain on its website. “Regal Entertainment Group wants our customers and staff to feel comfortable and safe when visiting or working in our theaters. … We acknowledge that this procedure can cause some inconvenience and that it is not without flaws, but hope that these are minor in comparison to increased safety.”

Related Videos

The added security comes just days after a study concluded that nearly half of moviegoers would be willing to pay an extra dollar for theaters to beef up security. “Moviegoers are telling us that they’re starting to see the value of security,” said consumer research firm C4’s Ben Spergel to Variety. “Hopefully, they’re beginning to value it the same amount that they value IMax or 3D, where they recognize that you have to pay more for a better experience. You may also have to pay more for a safer experience.”

As most of us are aware, a rash of tragic incidents at movie theaters have spurred the call for increased security. Earlier this month in Tennessee, police shot and killed a man with a pellet gun, pepper spray, and an ax used to attack theatergoers. Last month, during a screening of Trainwreck, a man shot and killed two people before killing himself.

Regal, which operates more than 570 theaters across the U.S., is the first major chain to implement mandatory bag checks. And at least one entertainment industry analyst doesn’t think moviegoers will care too much about the new policy.

“Moviegoers have become so accustomed to having these types of security measures enacted in all kinds of public spaces, from theme parks to sports venues and rock concerts,” said analyst Paul Dergarabedian to USA Today.

“I don’t think anyone is going to stay away from a movie theater because of increased security measures. If anything, they’re going to appreciate it.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Director Tommy Wirkola on combining Die Hard with Santa Claus in Violent Night
David Harbour dressed as Santa Claus, holding a sledgehammer.

Besides being one of the greatest action films of all time, 1988's Die Hard became a template for pitching movies with a similar concept. Die Hard on a boat? Under Siege. Die Hard on a plane? Air Force One. Die Hard on a mountain? Cliffhanger. These films worked by taking an easily adaptable concept and making it their own. More times than not, however, the films pitched as "Die Hard on a" fail to capture the essence of Die Hard (we don't need to cover Die Hard at a beauty pageant, also known as No Contest).Three decades later, the concept works again with Violent Night, which is Die Hard with Santa Claus.

Directed by Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters), Violent Night stars David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Santa Claus, depicted here as a depressed drunk who's lost hope in humanity because of people's consumerism and greed. On Christmas Eve, a group of highly skilled mercenaries breaks into the Lightstone estate, murdering the staff and holding the family hostage. Unbeknownst to them, Santa is stranded on the property. When one of the young prisoners, Trudy (Leah Brady), reaches out to Santa for help, Kris Kringle channels his inner warrior and hunts down the mercenaries, one at a time, in violent and bloody fashion.

Read more
M. Night Shyamalan explains how he tells stories in Knock at the Cabin featurette
Two people are tied up and sit down in a scene from Knock at the Cabin.

M. Night Shyamalan has been scaring audiences for over 20 years, starting with 1999's The Sixth Sense. Shyamalan's psychological thrillers are full of supernatural elements that typically end with a huge plot twist. His latest venture, Knock at the Cabin, combines a home invasion with the apocalypse to tell a story that feels larger than life despite taking place in a secluded location.

Knock At The Cabin - "A Look Inside"

Read more
Where to watch Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick.

The year is 2022, and Tom Cruise, one of Hollywood's last movie stars, sits atop the movie world once again with Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to 1986's Top Gun is the number one movie of 2022 at the worldwide box office with a gross of $1.7 billion.

It cannot be overstated how much of a success story Top Gun: Maverick has been. The gamble to postpone the film's release date multiple times to ensure its theatrical release paid off as the film registered Cruise's best opening weekend at the box office with a domestic gross of $124 million back in late May. After a three-month theatrical run, the film can finally be seen in your home, and we're here to let you know how.
Where to watch Top Gun: Maverick

Read more