Pink goes well with green, but maybe not in the movie theater.
If you're among the extra enthused and thoroughly dedicated fanbase planning to go all-out with your look when seeing “Wicked” in theaters, you may want to think again.
The long-awaited movie adaptation of the Tony-award-winning show starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo pulled in $114 million on its opening weekend alone as millions flocked to see the first of the two-act series. Emulating the leading ladies with perky pinky garb like Grande, who plays Glinda, and green-tinged skin like Erivo, who stars as Elphaba, are the more obvious options to dress for the occasion.
But some major cinemas across the nation are saying "no," at least to some of the apparel.
Theatergoers on social media and beyond have reported issues entering theaters like AMC and Cinemark, specifically while donning green face and body paint.
Several viral posts have detailed customers being turned away or told to scrub the paint off in the bathroom. Yet others said that they were allowed into the same chains without issue.
Some confusion remains, however, as netizens reportedly feel the rules are unclear or have been inconsistently enforced.
Worried about defying movie theater rules when trying to grab a seat to watch Elphaba defy gravity? Here's what to know.
Plenty of fans are tapping into their inner theatre kid at "Wicked" showings, opting to dress up as their favorite characters and attend the screenings in creative and sometimes impressive garb.
The two favorites, naturally, are sparkly pink Glinda looks and moody black and green Elphaba looks. Some of those especially enthusiastic devotees who took the bit the extra mile and painted their skin to match Elphaba's green complexion, however, faced mixed reactions from movie theaters.
In some cases, people say they were allowed inside while wearing pretty extensive costuming, like one TikToker @gabrielle.legg, who was not only painted green but sported a custom broom, dress, wig and hat.
Other posters, however, shared on multiple platforms that they had been kicked out of movie theatres or told to remove the paint before they were allowed in.
In one video by @jamieforst that wracked up just under 17 million views, a young woman can be seen trying to wipe the green off her face in the theater bathroom accompanied by a text overlay that explains "PSA: Do not show up to an AMC wearing face paint they will not let you in."
Another fan, @sincerelycynser, posted that they were kicked out of a Cinemark theater for wearing green paint, while others like @celineserrano84 again reported being told to wash the makeup off in the bathroom before admittance.
AMC declined to comment or clarify its face paint and costume rules, directing USA Today to the company's policy banning face paint as stated on its website. Cinemark and Regal did not respond to requests for comment.
Comments sections on all of the videos were mixed, with some saying the rule was clear and well-known, specifically after the 2012 mass shooting that happened in a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises."
Others seemed confused as to apparent inconsistencies in enforcement.
"Please look up what happened at a movie theater in Aurora Colorado in 2012 during a midnight screening… this is the policy at every theater," said one comment echoed by many similar posts. Others pointed out, however, that other recent movie releases seemed to have laxer enforcement.
"Yet everyone for Minions (including me) painted their face (to) watch the movie and there was no problem," said one. "I literally went to the theater in full green," said another amid a rash of comments questioning how consistently the rules are enforced.
The official answer? Probably not.
Major movie theatre chains including AMC, Regal and Cinemark have explicitly stated rules against certain attire, including face paint.
AMC’s website specifies that costumes are generally allowed, but prop weapons, face paint, helmets, masks that are not standard for health purposes and anything else covering the face are not allowed. Cinemark has similar rules that prohibit face paint, simulated weapons or face masks other than personal protective masks.
Other major chains including Regal Theatres, Showcase Cinemas, Cineplex, Landmark Theatres and Marcus Theatres all have similar no face paint, no face-obscuring costume policies posted on their websites.
While some have reported being allowed into their local locations in full paint and costumes, official policy dictates that those people may have gotten lucky — but as a blanket rule, face paint is to be avoided.
Contributing: Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star
Read more at usatoday.com.
