Nicole Kidman Is Returning To Her Biggest Success In Years

Replacing the previous 60-second advertisement featuring Nicole Kidman, which had been a staple before every movie for the last three years, this new campaign hopes to promote theater-going as well as the first one. The new commercials will make surprise appearances in theaters just before the movie begins, setting the stage for trailers and the main feature.

The original commercial featured Nicole Kidman alone in an AMC theater, expressing the joy and thrill of the cinematic experience, embodied by moments such as when the lights dim, and the audience is transported into new worlds.

The ad unexpectedly resonated with audiences, thanks to its authentic, enthusiastic style and dialogue, particularly the line “Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this”. The ad has since sparked various internet trends, including memes, parodies, and has even inspired unique audience participation ritual in theatres.

AMC launched the initial promotional campaign with Nicole Kidman in September 2021. Penned by screenwriter Billy Ray who is known for writing Captain Phillips, Terminator: Dark Fate, and Richard Jewell, the commercial was utilized to kickstart theater attendances, which had witnessed an alarming decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The previous Nicole Kidman ad was directed by Jeff and Tim Cronenworth. Jeff is well known as a cinematographer, having worked on several David Fincher films, including Fight Club and The Social Network, as well as Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos which also starred Kidman.

Landing Nicole Kidman for the AMC ad was no small feat, as the Australian actress has been a global star since early roles in movies like the thriller Dead Calm and action-packed Days of Thunder in the late 80s and early 90s.

Kidman’s breakthrough came in the mid-90’s with the dark comedy To Die For. This film earned her widespread acclaim and led to work with some of the most respected names in the business. She quickly went on to team with renowned directors like Stanley Kubrick in the his last film, Eyes Wide Shut and Baz Luhrmann in the musical extravaganza Moulin Rouge!

Kidman’s award-winning portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours in 2002 earned her the coveted Academy Award for Best Actress. Rather than rest on her laurels, Nicole Kidman continued to captivate audiences in the following years with notable roles in films such as Lion and Bombshell, earning her additional Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

More recently, Nicole Kidman also ventured into television with critically acclaimed series like Big Little Lies and The Undoing. Despite her popularity perhaps having peaked in the late nineties and early aughts, Kidman has remained a sought-after actress, consistently delivering well-received performances in both film and television. Seeing an actress of her stature in advertisements is not something movie buffs experience every day.

Details about the new commercials remain under wraps, but audiences will be seeing one of the three ads before movies at AMC Theatres starting March 1.