The China Film Administration announced late last week that movie theaters in “low risk” areas could reopen starting Monday with some precautions. Members of the public are required to wear masks and perform temperature checks, and theaters are expected to operate at 30% of capacity. Eating and drinking in the theater is also prohibited.
The “low risk” requirement effectively means that most of the country should be able to reopen theaters, according to the Global Times, a state tabloid.
Ticket sales for Monday’s box office topped 2.8 million yuan ($ 400,000) just before 5 p.m. local time, according to Maoyan, a major Chinese ticket platform.
Movie theaters across the country closed in January when the coronavirus quickly spread through China. That meant the box office industry missed Lunar New Year sales, a season that is generally a boon to theaters and studios, as many residents watch movies over the long vacation.
Many Chinese social media users celebrated the reopening on Monday.
“Cinema, I’m coming!” wrote a Weibo user who added that “they understand and support prevention and control measures.” Another user said they would be “satisfied” watching a movie, even if they couldn’t eat or drink during the screening.
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