Audience members for "Wicked" have sparked heated debate by snapping photos during screenings, prompting film enthusiasts to decry such actions as a breach of cinematic etiquette. During the musical adaptation's record-breaking opening weekend at the box office, fans of the Broadway show eagerly shared snapshots of the screen onto social media, fueled in part by a viral X (formerly Twitter) post from an Ariana Grande fan account urging followers to "Show ur 'Wicked Part 1' photos." While the post led to a surge of users displaying their own movie moments, many responses were forceful, advocating for the offenders to be ejected from the theater.
"Any cell phone is a distraction in a dimly lit theater, especially when people try to sneakily use it," explains Jason E. Squire, an emeritus professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and host of the podcast "The Movie Business," to The Hollywood Reporter. "This kind of behavior is utterly intolerable and should never be permitted in theaters showing any film."
Alamo Drafthouse, a premium theater chain renowned for encouraging patrons to report disruptive behavior or phone usage, responded succinctly to the viral photo call-out post with, "Or, don't do that." The chain emphasizes to THR that while they collaborate with influencers to promote screenings, any opportunities to share images from the theatrical experience are offered exclusively before the film begins.
"We firmly stand against any phone usage once the movie starts," asserts Chaya Rosenthal, the chief marketing officer of Alamo Drafthouse. "Influencers are eager to express themselves and share their experiences with their social communities. So, we embrace that but in a different manner, where we encourage people to snap their photos before the film starts and enjoy that experience in our lobbies."
Featuring Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the story of "The Wizard of Oz's" characters before Dorothy's arrival, the "Wicked" movie enjoyed a magical start at the box office, marking history with the best opening weekend for a Broadway musical adaptation. Notably, the 2024 summer box office was down 10 percent compared to the previous year, suggesting that the recent Hollywood strikes did not cause as much devastation as feared. That said, it is evident that the industry can thrive with the support of young, social media-savvy audience members.
Some exhibitors have chosen not to rely on the fleeting trends dictated by social media. The Art Theatre, a single-screen cinema in Long Beach, California, has shifted its focus post-pandemic to showing second-run titles for about six months after the Academy Awards ceremony, although it will continue to screen new releases throughout the rest of this year. Notably, the venue has no plans to show "Wicked" or "Gladiator II," instead opting to screen "Conclave," "Maria," and "Queer" in the coming weeks.
"For every movie, a manager performs an old-fashioned walk-through from the front to the back of the screen to prevent such behavior," says Kerstin Kansteiner, the head of the board for the nonprofit theater. "We've encountered it a few times, but it's relatively uncommon."
Universal did not respond to requests for comment on the topic, but Rosenthal notes that studios are generally aligned with Alamo's policy of strictly discouraging phone use. Granted, studios have embraced platforms like TikTok to promote films, but they prefer any videos to be taken before a screening or in the lobby afterward.
Even the notion of singing along to a theatrical musical has proved divisive. Ahead of "Wicked's" release, AMC Theatres issued a statement requesting theatergoers to refrain from not only phone use but also singing along with the screening. Some chains, including Alamo Drafthouse, have organized separate sing-along events to cater to enthusiastic viewers.
John Bucher, the executive director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and a story consultant for projects released by Paramount, HBO, and A24, observes that our society has increasingly prioritized individual needs over those of the group, largely due to the advent of technologies like smartphones.
"Rudeness and civility have slowly been relegated to the bottom of our values list for a long time," Bucher remarks. "Encouraging people to snap photos of the screen during a movie sends a message to those around us. It suggests that the invisible community that isn't here with me is more important than the community that is here with me."
