On April 1, the Hays AMC Theater announced its sudden closure on its Facebook page. The message stated: “It is with great sadness that I have to announce we will be showing our final features on Thursday, April 3, and then we will shut down permanently.”

Since it was posted on April Fool’s Day, many thought it was just a harmless prank at first, and with such short notice of closing, it did not seem to be true.

However, Media Relations Manager for AMC Theaters, Cassie Kennard, then made a statement, saying, “I can confirm that AMC will cease operations at Hays 8 after the close of business on Thursday, April 3. AMC routinely reviews the theaters in our circuit and makes decisions based on what will strengthen the company going forward. We thank our Hays 8 guests for their patronage and appreciate the support from the community throughout the years of operation.”

The movie theater’s closure has left many in the community disappointed, now with even less to do in Hays. Former AMC patrons now must travel to surrounding towns, such as Palco or Russell, to see new releases, such as “A Minecraft Movie,” which was released on April 4.

Some community members hope to see another company take over the theater, even if it is privately owned, like many smaller theaters in the area are. And, people have voiced that Hays is a large enough market, that it is surprising that it now does not have a single movie theater.

“I’m upset about it because I did enjoy going and being able to relax to watch a movie,” sophomore Adalynn Wilkie said.

27aarias@usd489.com