The challenge of re-opening movie theaters has been an ongoing debate for the past few months. Once theater opens, it’s uncertain the level of crowds theater chains will see upon return. With that being said, the time is drawing near on these openings. Movie theaters in Los Angeles and New York City hope to reopen on July 10th.
It’s extremely important for thee two locations to open as they are the country’s two largest moviegoing markets and are crucial for Hollywood studios as they gear up to release Mulan on July 24 and Tenet on July 31.
Regal Cinemas announced Tuesday morning that the majority of its locations will open on July 10, while all 541 U.S. sites will be up and running by July 24. AMC Theatres and Cinemark Theatres are planning on similar phased reopenings. Together, the three circuits make up the three biggest chains in the U.S.
Along with announcing their reopening, on Tuesday, Regal detailed a wide array of safety measures it will take upon reopening, including keeping two seats empty between groups of patrons (and one in the instance of recliner seats), contactless payment, reduced concessions, cleaning with special equipment and more. And where required by local authorities, employees and guests will wear masks, while capacity may be reduced by 50 percent.
