Guarantor Subsidiaries - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 33,349	$ 36,215
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(24,748)	(25,923)
Theatre acquisition	(12,318)	(702)
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates		(54)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	740	2,857
Other investing activities	231	273
Net cash used in investing activities	(36,095)	(23,549)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Short-term borrowings		5,000
Repayments of short term borrowings		(5,000)
Issuance of long-term debt		209,500
Repayments of long-term debt		(200,229)
Debt issuance costs		(8,621)
Repayments of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	(3,052)	(1,397)
Issuance of common stock	88,043	56,565
Purchase of treasury stock	(174)	(57)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	84,817	55,761
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	82,071	68,427
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	68,531	13,616
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	150,602	82,043
Carmike Cinemas, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	10,121	1,288
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(4,449)	(13,768)
Theatre acquisition	(3,828)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	6	2,059
Other investing activities	231	273
Net cash used in investing activities	(8,040)	(11,436)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Short-term borrowings		5,000
Repayments of short term borrowings		(5,000)
Issuance of long-term debt		209,500
Repayments of long-term debt		(200,229)
Debt issuance costs		(8,621)
Repayments of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	(344)	(252)
Issuance of common stock	88,043	56,565
Purchase of treasury stock	(174)	(57)
Intercompany receivable/payable	358	20,725
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	87,883	77,631
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	89,964	67,483
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	49,093	3,623
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	139,057	71,106
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	23,228	34,927
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(20,299)	(12,155)
Theatre acquisition	(8,490)	(702)
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates		(54)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	734	798
Net cash used in investing activities	(28,055)	(12,113)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	(2,708)	(1,145)
Intercompany receivable/payable	(358)	(20,725)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(3,066)	(21,870)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	(7,893)	944
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	19,438	9,993
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	11,545	10,937
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment
Theatre acquisition
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment
Other investing activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Short-term borrowings
Repayments of short term borrowings
Issuance of long-term debt
Repayments of long-term debt
Debt issuance costs
Repayments of capital leases and long-term financing obligations
Issuance of common stock
Purchase of treasury stock
Intercompany receivable/payable
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
Increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period