Avengers movie brings late showings, more security to Colorado Springs theater
The 2012 Aurora theater massacre led many movie theaters to stop hosting late showings of big movies but a Colorado Springs theater is bringing them back this weekend.
AMC Chapel Hills 13, in the Chapel Hills Mall, plans to have 2 a.m. showings of the summer blockbuster “Avengers: Endgame” during opening weekend — 75 minutes later than the next-latest showing at any other local theater.
Edward Beane, the mall’s general manager, said the the theater complex occasionally had 2 a.m. showings before the July 2012 midnight premiere of “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” at Century 16 in Aurora, in which James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70.
“He bought a ticket just like everyone else, came in and sat down just like everyone else,” said Beane, a former security manager at the mall. “We want to be ready in case something happens, and keep people safe. That’s my biggest fear, a shooter coming in here.”
Beane said he’ll have extra security guards on duty this weekend.
“We’ll check bags if we have to,” he said. “We’ll watch for patterns. We’ll look for people who are entering or leaving the theater at times they shouldn’t be. We have upgraded the lighting outside. We have more surveillance cameras than they had at the Aurora theater, that’s something we learned from them.”
Beane said the Avengers movie is sold out for the weekend, so there won’t be long lines of people trying to buy tickets.
“We also have the Falcon substation of the Colorado Springs Police Department nearby and ready to help if needed,” he said. “But I think we’ll have a safe, enjoyable weekend. People should know that we will have a strong security presence.”
Many people who planned to attend the Avengers premiere this weekend agree with Beane, saying they’re not scared of a 2 a.m. showing and trust that the theater will have adequate security.
“I think there’s always going to be a little bit of worry in the back of your head, just wondering what might happen” said Dustin Short. “But I don’t want to live in fear.”
“It hasn’t happened, before or since Aurora,” said Sabrina Shelton. “I wouldn’t let one isolated incident keep me from attending a 2 a.m. showing.”
“I think if anything, it shows that we’re able to move past these kinds of things,” said Caleb Perry.
“Colorado Springs is fairly safe,” said Kathy Murray. “Where you are, that makes a big difference.”
The mall theater will show the Avengers movie 29 times daily through the weekend.
