NHL Mascot Gritty Parodies Nicole Kidman's Iconic AMC Theaters Intro

The beloved mascot argues that "Flyers hockey feels good in a place like this."

By Jenna Anderson

The lovable NHL mascot Gritty has unveiled a new pop culture parody — this time, involving Nicole Kidman's beloved AMC Theaters fanfare. On Tuesday, Gritty's official social media accounts shared a new video, which sees the Philadelphia Flyers mascot recreating Kidman's advertisement in shot-for-shot detail. Using the Flyers' Wells Fargo Center arena as a backdrop, Gritty rewatches some of the team's biggest plays on a big screen, reacting like Kidman does to a roster of movies.

"flyers hockey feels good in a place like this," Gritty wrote, in reference to Kidman's catchphrase of "Heartbreak feels good in a place like this."

When Did the Nicole Kidman AMC Ad Debut?

The Nicole Kidman intro has had a profound impact across the Internet since it was unveiled in 2021, spawning countless memes and recreations (including a remake on the recent seventh and final season of Riverdale). In a 2022 interview, Kidman revealed that she was not prepared for the campaign's impact, but is glad that its central message is resonating with so many people. 

"But it's a great line, right?," Kidman told The Playlist. "It's so true. How true is it too? ... "I mean, talk about not feeling alone, sitting in a cinema with a broken heart, and then watching something that breaks your heart again, and you go, 'I'm not alone.' Please. This must not go away. We have to have cinema."

Will There Be Another Nicole Kidman AMC Ad?

In August of 2022, Kidman signed a renewed contract with AMC, promising to be the campaign's spokesperson for another year. Although a second intro has yet to be unveiled, the company has expressed excitement about continuing to collaborate with her.

"As Nicole Kidman reminds us in AMC's now iconic and revered advertising campaign, 'Given that Hollywood has great stories to tell. It's clear that movie fans are ever so eager to enjoy those dazzling images on AMCs huge silver screens,'" AMC CEO Adam Aron said at the time. "And speaking of Nicole, our ad campaign was so effective that we signed her to be our spokesperson for another full year."

What TV Shows Has Gritty Cameoed In?

In the span of the past year, Gritty has made guest appearances on two fan-favorite sitcoms — Season 2 of Abbott Elementary, and Season 16 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. According to Gritty, these cameos have been a unique opportunity to spread their wings as a performer.

"When you've reached the level of fame and success that Quinta and I have, you have people for that," Gritty told Variety over email when asked how their appearance came to be. "Her people reached out to my people. Of course I'm a fan ... It's comedy, it's Philly and it's school. I love two of those things!"

"Some, less experienced actors, have described the challenges of playing yourself on camera," Gritty continued. "I can't relate. Truly, I found it refreshing that Hollywood didn't try to get some C-lister like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to play me at a discount. I stuck to the script but of course added some of my Gritty charm we all know and love."

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