Credit: Netflix“The Rock” sets the record straight with his unusual movie theater advice.
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shared his thoughts on the new debate about whether audiences should be able to harmonize while watching a movie in a theater. The legendary Hollywood star has encouraged fans to sing to their hearts’ content during a time when movie theater etiquette seems to have been forgotten or thrown out entirely.
Johnson joined in on the debate, which started earlier this month due to fans singing during the screening of Wicked, the Wizard of Oz-themed musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The film will likely dominate the Thanksgiving box office, though controversy clouded the film shortly after its release/
Reports of fans singing at the top of their lungs, snapping photos, and even recording parts of the movie flooded social media, and while two out of three of these activities are literally illegal, the singing part remains a highly contested area of the movie-going experience.
Given the fact that Wicked is a musical, it seems natural that fans would want to sing during the film, especially during the first few days of its release. Others have argued movie theaters are shared spaces and should remain as such.
However, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently weighed in, with the actor landing on the side of the singers rather than the watchers.
Johnson told the BBC that fans should feel free to sing along. “Sing! You’ve paid your hard earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing.”
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“Especially if you love music, that’s the fun part,” Johnson added. The debate about whether or not fans should be able to sing along during movies is a long and controversial one. However, in the age of social media, it seems now more than ever that movie-goers feel free to make themselves comfortable during a screening, especially if the film happens to be a musical.
AMC Theatres spokesperson Ryan Noonan told the Indianapolis Star during Wicked’s opening weekend that the company asked moviegoers not to sing during the musical movie to prevent screening disturbances.
“AMC has a long-standing policy that prohibits disruptive behavior,” he told the publication. “The ‘Wicked’ preshow spot [which includes ‘no singing’] incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show.”
As Buzzfeed reported, many called out Johnson for his stance on movie theater etiquette.
Johnson is certainly no stranger to controversy. The accomplished actor and performer stirred the proverbial pot earlier this year with his reported antics on the set of Red One, a Christmas film in which he stars alongside Captain America himself, Chris Evans.
Accusations about Johnson’s on-set behavior emerged at the start of the year, with initial reports claiming the actor would show up late to set, causing Red One‘s budget to inflate by tens of millions. Other rumors claimed Johnson would urinate in bottles to save time on shooting days.
Eventually, Johnson set the rumors straight, denying he had anything to do with Red One‘s budget. However, Johnson did not deny the bizarre bathroom habit, simply stating, “Yeah. That happens.”
Johnson has been solidly booked, with both Red One and Moana 2 hitting theaters this November. Both films are primed to light the box office on fire, with analysis predicting Moana 2 will take home millions during its opening weekend.
Next year sees Johnson star in The Smashing Machine, an exciting new project from Benny Safdie, one-half of the brotherly duo behind critically acclaimed films like Good Time(2017) and Uncut Gems (2019).
What’s your favorite movie The Rock has been in?