Following the delays of movies like Tenet and Mulan, AMC Theatres has officially pushed back its official reopening date. Movie theaters across the globe have been closed since as early as February because of the coronavirus pandemic, and as a result, the 2020 box office is in shambles. In the United States, theaters have been closed since March, and for the most part, they remain that way. A handful of locations have reopened in various states, but with coronavirus cases continuing to rise in the US, most major chains have exercised caution in planning their reopening plans. Cinemark opened their theaters on June 19, and Regal is aiming for July 10. AMC initially planned to reopen on July 15, just in time to start showing new releases.
However, as the current situation is so uncertain, those movies once planned for July have since escaped to August. Tenet moved from July 31 to August 12, while Mulan went from July 24 to August 21. There are some smaller movies planning theatrical releases before those two, like Russell Crowe's Unhinged, but most theaters have been pinning their reopening hopes on the big blockbusters to help bring audiences back in. At this point, Mulan and Tenet remain the last potential summer blockbusters of the year.
Now Deadline reports AMC has officially moved its reopening to July 30. 450 locations will open their doors on that day, with the rest of the 600 theaters gradually opening up as part of a phased plan. This will also extend to AMC's international locations. This new date of July 30 will allow AMC to be open for those smaller films like Unhinged (which is scheduled for July 31) as they wait for the August movies. AMC's CEO Adam Aron said this in a statement:
We continue to devote extraordinary resources into our plan to operate our theatres with a hyper commitment to the safety and health of our guests and associates, notably in the United States through our new AMC Safe & Clean initiative. Our theatre general managers across the U.S. started working full time again today and are back in their theatres gearing up to get their buildings fully ready just a few weeks from now for moviegoers. That happy day, when we can welcome guests back into most of our U.S. theatres, will be Thursday, July 30.
AMC is the theater chain that has arguably been in the news the most during the shutdown. Financially, AMC has reached the brink of bankruptcy and at one point even suggested they would be unable to actually reopen. This means there's a chance that AMC won't be willing to push back their reopening once again if Tenet and Mulan leave August behind. Of course, any further potential delays might not come for a few more weeks, so AMC has time adjust their plans if needed.
One thing is certain though: AMC will require its customers to wear masks. Initially, AMC said they would not reinforce facial coverings, but they changed their tune following backlash online. Theaters have had to adopt several health guidelines in order to ensure they can open safely, and AMC is no exception. Their delayed reopening might come as a disappointment to those who are eager to get back to the movies, but at least it was only a two-week delay. Only time will tell if it sticks.
Source: Deadline