Nicole Kidman Has No Regrets About Her Viral AMC Campaign: ‘You Can Meme Me as Much as You Want’
Kidman is the patron saint of movie theaters thanks to her 2021 partnership with AMC.
by Samantha Bergeson · IndieWireNicole Kidman is begging for audiences to make her a meme…even more.
The Oscar winner told GQ UK that her viral 2021 AMC ad campaign is a point of pride in both her internet lore and status as a theater supporter. The iconic ad, which includes Kidman saying that “heartbreak feels good in a place like this” while staring up at a movie theater screen, has been parodied on “Saturday Night Live,” among other places.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kidman joked. “‘Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.’ But I’ll do anything for cinema, so you can meme me as much as you want.”
Kidman previously told Elle that the AMC ad was filmed over one weekend while she had a break in production on Prime Video film “Being the Ricardos.” Kidman recruited the feature’s cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth and Oscar-winning screenwriter Billy Ray to craft the ad. AMC is the largest U.S. theater chain.
“It was just the desire to keep cinemas alive,” Kidman said of the inspiration for partnering with AMC. “I’ve had the best experiences in cinema. I’d pretend I was going to school; I’d forge a note, and I’d go and sit in a movie theater. That’s a safe haven for me, so the idea of those not existing — that’s just not part of the equation in my lifetime.”
Kidman continued, “If that’s what it takes, I’ll do whatever it takes. We have to have some more ideas for the next one.”
AMC Entertainment chief Adam Aron said that more Kidman-led ads would debut in 2024, including a recut version of the 2021 campaign titled “We Make Movies Better.” Aron also teased a new ad is in the works with the “First Lady of AMC” Kidman, as Aron called the actress/producer. However, there has yet to be more Kidman AMC collaborations released amid Kidman’s slew of projects ranging from series “The Perfect Couple” to erotic thriller “Babygirl,” which will be released in theaters December 25.
“Becoming associated with [Kidman] has been one of the smartest marketing decisions that I’ve been a part of for the last 40 years,” Aron told Variety in 2023.