AMC Theatres To Begin Reopening Cinemas In Late August
AMC Theatres aims to open 100 theaters in late August, with strict new cleaning procedures and ticket specials in an effort to entice audiences back. The cinema chain, which has more screens in the USA than any other, was forced to shut down all of its theaters in March, and as a result has suffered massive losses. The situation was so bad for the chain that in June the chain admitted in public filings that it had doubt over the long-term viability of the business.
AMC has threatened to reopen a number of times during the pandemic, initially aiming for a mid-July date, and saying at the time that it wouldn't require cinemagoers to wear masks. After a swift backlash against that pronouncement, the chain reversed its decision saying that both employees and patrons would be required to wear masks at all times. However, the initial reopening plans did not pan out, as the major releases scheduled for July at the time were all delayed or, in the case of Disney's Mulan, shifted to streaming. As a result, AMC has yet to reopen any cinemas in the USA.
But now, in an email to AMC Stubs Premiere members yesterday, the theater chain has officially announced that it will begin opening screens in late August. The chain says that after reopening most of its screens in the Middle East and Europe, it has decided to go ahead with its plans to reopen in the USA, starting with 100 screens in late August, and moving on to have two-thirds of its screens open by September 3. Not coincidentally, that's the date Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated blockbuster Tenet opens.
The chain also detailed its cleaning plans for the reopening, which includes longer gaps between show times in order to deep clean properly, social distancing in theaters, mask enforcement for both patrons and employees, and online mobile ordering of food and beverages to limit interaction between staff and guests. The chain also announced that in addition to showing new releases like The New Mutants, Tenet and Unhinged, they will be screening a number of classic movies, including Back To The Future, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Ghostbusters, at $5 a ticket. This is in contrast to the news last week that the chain may be forced to raise prices in order to make up for the five-month closure and the new coronavirus safety measures.
The news might be positive for the theater chain, but the question remains: In a country which is still deep in the grip of a global pandemic, just how safe will it be to attend a movie at a theater. No matter how much AMC cleans and sanitizes its theaters and enforces social distancing, it will still struggle to convince audiences to turn out in large numbers to watch movies if the risk of doing so involves potentially contracting a life-threatening virus.
On the other hand, there is clearly a section of the population who is willing to take the risk in order to have the traditional movie-watching experience. AMC will be banking on those patrons to turn up in their numbers, especially once Tenet opens in early September. If they don't, though, the theater chain could be in even more financial trouble than it was before.
Source: AMC