Former FDA commissioner thinks AMC Theatres' noncommittal mask policy is a terrible idea

An AMC theater remains closed on March 17, 2020 in New York City
(Image credit: Victor J. Blue/Getty Images)

AMC plans to reopen its movie theaters without requiring all guests to wear masks — but the former commissioner of the FDA thinks they'll soon have to "rethink" that.

The nation's largest movie theater chain, AMC Theatres, on Thursday announced its plan to reopen next month, saying that like Regal and Cinemark, it won't require guests to wear masks except in areas where they're already required to do so. The company faced backlash for this decision, especially after AMC CEO Adam Aron said it was reached because "we did not want to be drawn into a political controversy." Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, on Friday argued Aron's got it all wrong.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.