(WPHL/NEXSTAR) — Fans eager to belt out hits like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” in theaters during the highly anticipated “Wicked” movie musical will need to hold off — for now.
AMC warned viewers that singing during the movie won’t be allowed during standard screenings of the film, which premieres nationwide on Nov. 22.
Reddit users who have attended special screenings of “Wicked” noted that AMC has been playing the following advisory before the movie to remind the audience that “silence is golden”: “No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No flirting. And absolutely no name calling.”
In a statement to The Indianapolis Star, AMC spokesperson Ryan Noonan said the cinema chain has a “long-standing policy that prohibits disruptive behavior.”
“The WICKED preshow spot incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show,” Noonan continued.
Nexstar has reached out to AMC for comment and is awaiting a response.
For those who can’t wait to unleash their inner Broadway star, Universal Pictures has a solution: interactive sing-along screenings that will hit more than 1,000 theaters across North America beginning on Dec. 25, as first reported by Variety.
Specific theater locations that will offer the sing-alongs have not yet been announced.
“Wicked,” described by Universal as “the untold story of the witches of Oz,” features awarding-winning actress Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and popstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch.