The country’s two largest movie theater chains have announced new reopening dates after more delays related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Variety reports that Cineworld, which owns Regal Cinemas, plans to reopen all of its US theaters on July 31 instead of its previously announced July 10 date. AMC Theaters, the nation’s largest network, also pushed its reopening date for 450 locations across the country to July 30; the company will open its remaining 150 locations the following week.
The changes come after a series of setbacks, including New York state that does not allow theaters to reopen immediately in phase four, which began Friday in central New York and other regions. It is unclear whether theaters will be reopened by the time New York City reaches Phase Four, possibly later this month.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that NYS will require large shopping malls, where many movie theaters are located, to take steps to remove coronavirus particles from the indoor air. That could mean installing more powerful air filters or taking other steps before they can reopen.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti also ordered a “hard pause” in the reopening of companies, including theaters, due to “alarming increases” in the Covid-19 cases in California. LA and NYC are the two largest markets for the box office.
As a result, a handful of movies slated for release in July and August have been delayed.
Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has been delayed from July 31 to August 12, and Disney’s live action “Mulan” has been delayed from July 24 to August 21. Also, Russell Crowe’s “Unhinged” will now open on July 31, “Bill and Ted Face the Music” will open on August 28, and “Wonder Woman 1984” is now slated to hit theaters on October 2.
“In line with recent changes in the upcoming film release dates, we have made the decision to change our reopening date to July 31,” Cineworld said in a statement. “With the pandemic in progress, this new date is subject to final confirmation.”
When theaters reopen, employees and customers of Regal Cinemas and AMC Theaters should wear face masks when they are not seated. All theaters will also reduce capacity by 50 percent (with two empty seats between groups), increase cleaning between exhibits, and implement other health and safety protocols, including contactless payments and gloves for all workers.
And since new movies will be rare at first, Regal Cinemas said last week that it will also show older titles like “Star Wars, Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Shark,” “Black Panther” and “Beauty and the beast”. “
Regal Cinemas has more than 40 locations in New York State, including Syracuse area theaters at Destiny USA, Great Northern, and Shoppingtown. AMC Theaters has more than 1,000 locations worldwide, including theaters in upstate New York cities like Buffalo, Vestal, and Allegany.
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