CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION - Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues
Admissions													$ 2,049,428,000	$ 1,892,037,000	$ 1,765,388,000
Food and beverage													1,019,093,000	910,086,000	797,735,000
Other theatre													167,325,000	144,777,000	132,267,000
Total revenues	$ 926,096,000	$ 779,771,000	$ 763,962,000	$ 766,017,000	$ 783,857,000	$ 688,840,000	$ 821,079,000	$ 653,124,000	$ 712,155,000	$ 633,904,000	$ 726,573,000	$ 622,758,000	3,235,846,000	2,946,900,000	2,695,390,000
Operating costs and expenses
Film exhibition costs													1,089,501,000	1,021,457,000	934,246,000
Food and beverage costs													142,167,000	128,569,000	111,991,000
Operating expense (income)													873,456,000	795,722,000	733,338,000
Rent													505,463,000	467,822,000	455,239,000
General and administrative:
Merger, acquisition and transaction costs													47,895,000	3,398,000	1,161,000
Other													90,719,000	58,212,000	64,873,000
Depreciation and amortization													268,243,000	232,961,000	216,321,000
Impairment of long-lived assets													5,544,000	1,702,000	3,149,000
Operating costs and expenses													3,022,988,000	2,709,843,000	2,520,318,000
Operating income	32,479,000	65,524,000	55,604,000	59,251,000	75,292,000	35,539,000	94,173,000	32,053,000	60,622,000	28,514,000	68,397,000	17,539,000	212,858,000	237,057,000	175,072,000
Other expense (income)
Other expense (income)													(446,000)	10,684,000	(8,344,000)
Interest expense:
Corporate borrowings													110,731,000	96,857,000	111,072,000
Capital and financing lease obligations													10,806,000	9,231,000	9,867,000
Equity in earnings of non-consolidated entities													(47,718,000)	(37,131,000)	(26,615,000)
Investment expense (income)													(10,154,000)	(6,115,000)	(8,145,000)
Total other expense													63,219,000	73,526,000	77,835,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes													149,639,000	163,531,000	97,237,000
Income tax provision	19,200,000												37,972,000	59,675,000	33,470,000
Earnings from continuing operations					$ 41,617,000	$ 12,178,000	$ 43,923,000	$ 6,138,000	29,819,000	7,376,000	31,414,000	(4,842,000)	111,667,000	103,856,000	63,767,000
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes											(21,000)	334,000			313,000
Net earnings	$ 28,973,000	$ 30,436,000	$ 23,967,000	$ 28,291,000					$ 29,819,000	$ 7,376,000	$ 31,393,000	$ (4,508,000)	111,667,000	103,856,000	64,080,000
Consolidating Adjustments
Other expense (income)
Equity in net (earnings) loss of subsidiaries													152,401,000	92,381,000	49,496,000
Interest expense:
Corporate borrowings													(123,523,000)	(129,823,000)	(149,548,000)
Investment expense (income)													123,523,000	129,823,000	149,548,000
Total other expense													152,401,000	92,381,000	49,496,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes													(152,401,000)	(92,381,000)	(49,496,000)
Earnings from continuing operations															(49,496,000)
Net earnings													(152,401,000)	(92,381,000)	(49,496,000)
AMCEH
Operating costs and expenses
Operating expense (income)														75,000	96,000
General and administrative:
Other													1,996,000
Operating costs and expenses													1,996,000	75,000	96,000
Operating income													(1,996,000)	(75,000)	(96,000)
Other expense (income)
Equity in net (earnings) loss of subsidiaries													(119,732,000)	(93,375,000)	(51,401,000)
Interest expense:
Corporate borrowings													110,526,000	97,163,000	110,861,000
Investment expense (income)													(104,457,000)	(107,719,000)	(123,636,000)
Total other expense													(113,663,000)	(103,931,000)	(64,176,000)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes													111,667,000	103,856,000	64,080,000
Earnings from continuing operations															64,080,000
Net earnings													111,667,000	103,856,000	64,080,000
Subsidiary Guarantors
Revenues
Admissions													1,945,162,000	1,887,584,000	1,760,781,000
Food and beverage													972,940,000	908,153,000	795,789,000
Other theatre													152,346,000	144,275,000	131,931,000
Total revenues													3,070,448,000	2,940,012,000	2,688,501,000
Operating costs and expenses
Film exhibition costs													1,039,948,000	1,019,327,000	932,108,000
Food and beverage costs													134,199,000	128,144,000	111,532,000
Operating expense (income)													830,824,000	791,917,000	729,282,000
Rent													491,131,000	465,830,000	453,106,000
General and administrative:
Merger, acquisition and transaction costs													46,943,000	3,398,000	1,161,000
Other													84,800,000	58,174,000	64,831,000
Depreciation and amortization													252,948,000	232,896,000	216,258,000
Impairment of long-lived assets													5,544,000	1,702,000	3,149,000
Operating costs and expenses													2,886,337,000	2,701,388,000	2,511,427,000
Operating income													184,111,000	238,624,000	177,074,000
Other expense (income)
Equity in net (earnings) loss of subsidiaries													(32,669,000)	994,000	1,905,000
Other expense (income)													(429,000)	10,684,000	(8,344,000)
Interest expense:
Corporate borrowings													123,671,000	129,517,000	149,759,000
Capital and financing lease obligations													8,490,000	9,231,000	9,867,000
Equity in earnings of non-consolidated entities													(46,920,000)	(37,131,000)	(26,615,000)
Investment expense (income)													(28,327,000)	(27,721,000)	(34,056,000)
Total other expense													23,816,000	85,574,000	92,516,000
Earnings (loss) before income taxes													160,295,000	153,050,000	84,558,000
Income tax provision													40,563,000	59,675,000	33,470,000
Earnings from continuing operations															51,088,000
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes															313,000
Net earnings													119,732,000	93,375,000	51,401,000
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors
Revenues
Admissions													104,266,000	4,453,000	4,607,000
Food and beverage													46,153,000	1,933,000	1,946,000
Other theatre													14,979,000	502,000	336,000
Total revenues													165,398,000	6,888,000	6,889,000
Operating costs and expenses
Film exhibition costs													49,553,000	2,130,000	2,138,000
Food and beverage costs													7,968,000	425,000	459,000
Operating expense (income)													42,632,000	3,730,000	3,960,000
Rent													14,332,000	1,992,000	2,133,000
General and administrative:
Merger, acquisition and transaction costs													952,000
Other													3,923,000	38,000	42,000
Depreciation and amortization													15,295,000	65,000	63,000
Operating costs and expenses													134,655,000	8,380,000	8,795,000
Operating income													30,743,000	(1,492,000)	(1,906,000)
Other expense (income)
Other expense (income)													(17,000)
Interest expense:
Corporate borrowings													57,000
Capital and financing lease obligations													2,316,000
Equity in earnings of non-consolidated entities													(798,000)
Investment expense (income)													(893,000)	(498,000)	(1,000)
Total other expense													665,000	(498,000)	(1,000)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes													30,078,000	(994,000)	(1,905,000)
Income tax provision													(2,591,000)
Earnings from continuing operations															(1,905,000)
Net earnings													$ 32,669,000	$ (994,000)	$ (1,905,000)