A medical worker wearing a mask walks into the AMC movie theater in Times Square amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 7, 2020 in New York City.
Alexi Rosenfeld | Getty Images
On Friday, AMC, Regal, Cinemark and Marcus Corp and other major theater chains reopened their doors to the public after five long months of closures due to the coronavirus.
But even with strict security protocols and new movie releases, moviegoers may hesitate to go back to cinemas.
“The reopening of movie theaters this weekend is definitely a bitter moment for the movie industry,” said Jeff Bock, senior analyst at Exhibitor Relations. “On the one hand, it’s a relief to see cinemas reopening their doors, but at the same time many of these theaters are opening in states and cities that have not yet had a say in the spread of this virus. That, so nice as it is to see new content in theaters, many people will simply not take the risk, and those who do can easily be exposed to the virus. “
Epidemiologists and health experts fear that air-conditioning units such as those in cinemas can infiltrate droplets into confined spaces and warn that some consumers may remove their masks when the lights of the house go down.
While AMC CEO Adam Aron has installed new air filtration systems in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease, it is unclear if other theaters have the new technology.
According to a mid-August survey conducted by Morning Consult, a global data information company, only about 17% of consumers feel comfortable going to the movies. That is down from about 20% in mid-July.
“Personally, I know of a few in my age group who are afraid to return to theaters, but we are not often present,” Doug Stone, president of Box Office Analyst, told CNBC via e- post. “There may be stronger interest in younger groups, but I believe the more than 40 people will be cautious.”
Of course, research results differ greatly. A poll of 16,000 moviegoers from Atom Tickets, an online movie ticket seller, found that 74% of respondents were willing to return to theaters within one month and 40% would return to theaters immediately.
“I think we’re going to open up an increase in activity over the weekend and if everything goes without incident, a very slow return to normal. Like months, not weeks,” Bock said. “Obviously, if multiple, traceable outbreaks occur, we will definitely look into the near future (premium video on demand) until we venture this virus.”
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