AMC Theatres eyes mid to late August reopening in the US

[Shawn Knight]

The big picture: AMC Theatres might make it through the pandemic after all. The world’s largest theatrical exhibition company recently said it is planning to re-open theaters in the US by the middle or end of August. But will people feel comfortable returning to the movies with Covid-19 still lingering?

AMC, if you recall, closed all of its US theaters in mid-March as stay-at-home orders were ramping up in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The chain operator said the timing of its August reopen reflects the expected release dates of some of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters such as Warner Bros.’ Tenet and Disney’s Mulan. The latter film premiered in Hollywood on March 9 but a wider theatrical release was postponed due to Covid-19.

Several major films scheduled to hit theaters this summer have seen their release dates pushed back as a result of the pandemic. Others, like Bill & Ted Face the Music, have elected to forge ahead with a simultaneous release in theaters and on demand at home. That flick is now scheduled to debut on September 1.

Regal Cinemas, operator of the second-largest theater chain in the US, started reopening its doors on July 10. The company is taking multiple measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees including implementing new contactless payment options and sanitizing auditoriums between each screening.

AMC said roughly a third of its cinemas in the Middle East and Europe are already back open and operating as usual.

Masthead credit: Maria Sbytova

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/86126-amc-theatres-eyes-mid-late-august-reopening-us.html

 

[Catweazle]

Lingering? It still hasn't even peaked yet, it's getting worse every day and still no vaccine. What is this "getting back to normal" nonsense? Maybe August 2021 if we're really lucky, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[MaxSmarties]

Getting back to normal what ?
Do you think Covid is under control in the USA ? the urge to reopen is keeping the virus alive all over the world, especially in the US and Brazil, countries where the President is in denial mode since the beginning.

 

[loki1944]

Lol, our theater never closed. Been to a few big screen movies over the past couple of months.

 

[winjer]

AMC's...The Walking Dead....

 

[Lionvibez]

But why?

 

[m3diapers]

The problem is people don't give a damn about the virus because of the low death rate. We would think it was just flu if China didn't make a big deal.

 

[PEnnn]

The problem is people don't give a damn about the virus because of the low death rate. We would think it was just flu if China didn't make a big deal.

China? LOL, they have less deaths total is less than 5000. In the US, Florida alone reached 5000 in 4 weeks!

Yeah, those 145,000 US dead and their families don't give a damn either.

Pathetic.

 

[loki1944]

China? LOL, they have less deaths total is less than 5000. In the US, Florida alone reached 5000 in 4 weeks!

Yeah, those 145,000 US dead and their families don't give a damn either.

Pathetic.

If you believe anything China says, I've got a unicorn to sell you.

 

[texasrattler]

Mulan was delayed till 2021. I guess AMC didn't get that message. Overall I doubt many ppl will go to the movies, at least not enough that could make up for the cost of a movie. Maybe in late fall time. We will see.

 

[Gaara]

Hey guess what am selling very cheap Lysol just in case trumptard are running out. Lol and include the needle. Lol

 

[PEnnn]

If you believe anything China says, I've got a unicorn to sell you.

If you believe anything Trump and his gang tell, I have a few Russian dolls with your name on them!!

 

[MaxSmarties]

Lol, our theater never closed. Been to a few big screen movies over the past couple of months.

And do you think it is a smart move ?

 

[MaxSmarties]

If you believe anything China says, I've got a unicorn to sell you.

No, I don’t believe China’s numbers. They had much more than 5000 deaths for sure, but I SAW, personally, sick and dying people in Europe (Italy, Spain and France mostly) and I can assure you this isn’t “just a flu”.

 

[rowskey]

This article is inaccurate and heavily outdated. Regal did not start opening July 10th (that date was set then moved twice), AMC most likely won't survive the shutdown - as both companies have announced delays to US opening with no firm date yet. AMC announced their dealyed opening for late August right after Tenet but before Mulan had been delayed indefinitely. With no new dates, and other delays being announced, there are nearly no new movies coming out in the rest of 2020. Oh yeah, and Mulan never released in March - that was their planned release date but it didn't play in a single theatre. The facts in this article are less accurate than a fake blind psychic using darts to predict the future on a coaster-sized dartboard from 300 meters.

 

[scavengerspc]

If you believe anything China says, I've got a unicorn to sell you.

And AMC theaters is owned by a group in China, so, you know.

 

[loki1944]

And AMC theaters is owned by a group in China, so, you know.

Fortunately our local theater is owned by the public schools.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Unfortunately, this might be a response to today’s “I want it now” mentality.... people, especially Americans, are used to getting what they want “now” and patience is no longer a virtue.

With COVID now months old, Americans have decided, “enough is enough”, and that they can just get back to normal because they’re entitled to...

Of course, this flies in the face of actual facts.... but since when does the average American care about those?

As of today, just under 150,000 dead in the US and cases are on the RISE.... sounds like opening movie theatres and packing enclosed rooms full of people should be a great idea...

Maybe I’ll visit Disney World.... Glad I live in Canada......

 

[MaxSmarties]

Unfortunately, this might be a response to today’s “I want it now” mentality.... people, especially Americans, are used to getting what they want “now” and patience is no longer a virtue.

With COVID now months old, Americans have decided, “enough is enough”, and that they can just get back to normal because they’re entitled to...

Of course, this flies in the face of actual facts.... but since when does the average American care about those?

As of today, just under 150,000 dead in the US and cases are on the RISE.... sounds like opening movie theatres and packing enclosed rooms full of people should be a great idea...

Maybe I’ll visit Disney World.... Glad I live in Canada......

Yep, what impressed me was seeing US reopening everything amid a rising pandemic. I was shocked about people protesting (for a good reason) on the streets, in a crowd of unprotected people, while the number of active cases were just flattening after the initial rush. And now they are still speaking about reopening, with the virus clearly not under control.
In Europe we reacted slowly, we didn’t take advantage of Italian example (where the virus was initially underestimated), but at some point we took the right moves and we closed non essential activities. Maybe the virus is not really under control here (it is still circulating...) but active cases and deaths are low. Italy now is not even in the first 15 countries regarding infection !
If the virus will be circulating all over the world next autumn, it would be mostly US and Brazil faults, countries where the President underestimated the impact of the virus itself.

 

[drjekelmrhyde]

Nope

 

[drjekelmrhyde]

If you believe anything China says, I've got a unicorn to sell you.

China's numbers are fuzzy, but they are a country that is USE to wearing masks and lock-downs unpolitically unlike the US. Places in farkin Africa has less cases than us because they been through multiple epidemics.

 

[ShadowDeath]

Lingering? It still hasn't even peaked yet, it's getting worse every day and still no vaccine. What is this "getting back to normal" nonsense? Maybe August 2021 if we're really lucky, but I wouldn't count on it.

I can't help but wonder how much of the panic is justified, how much is a political agenda, and how much is just the media being fear merchants.

Honestly at this point I wouldn't be surprised if later we equate Rona to a bad product launch. All hype and little delivery. See here is the thing. Yes I get that people are catching it. A friend of mine and his wife had it. Neither are in good health. One is on insulin both have weight issues. They basically described it as having cedar fever. Neither actually knew it was Rona until one got tested. They went on about their daily lives no problems. Yet the news tells me that this thing is so deadly that people like them don't have a chance of surviving it.

The flatten the curve thing has gotten out of hand. It wasn't to prevent the spread it was to slow the spread.. meaning we are all going to get it... We just need to come to terms with it.

Honestly I would t be surprised if it magically disappears from the news after November 4th.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I can't help but wonder how much of the panic is justified, how much is a political agenda, and how much is just the media being fear merchants.

Honestly at this point I wouldn't be surprised if later we equate Rona to a bad product launch. All hype and little delivery. See here is the thing. Yes I get that people are catching it. A friend of mine and his wife had it. Neither are in good health. One is on insulin both have weight issues. They basically described it as having cedar fever. Neither actually knew it was Rona until one got tested. They went on about their daily lives no problems. Yet the news tells me that this thing is so deadly that people like them don't have a chance of surviving it.

The flatten the curve thing has gotten out of hand. It wasn't to prevent the spread it was to slow the spread.. meaning we are all going to get it... We just need to come to terms with it.

Honestly I would t be surprised if it magically disappears from the news after November 4th.

And it’s attitudes like that which have killed 150,000 in the US alone!!
Yes, everyone will eventually be EXPOSED to Covid - but if we flatten the curve, most of us will be exposed after we’ve had the vaccine... or even better, there’s a cure available...

 

[ShadowDeath]

And it’s attitudes like that which have killed 150,000 in the US alone!!
Yes, everyone will eventually be EXPOSED to Covid - but if we flatten the curve, most of us will be exposed after we’ve had the vaccine... or even better, there’s a cure available...

Care to share with us what about my comment has contributed to 150k deaths? Which part of it is the "attitude" that contributed to 150k deaths and by proxy you're trying to make me feel guilty for those people who died?

You sure it wasn't the WHO who lied to the world causing massive deaths in Spain? What about all the politicians who cried racist when Trump issued a travel ban? Or Nancy Pelosi who went to San Francisco’s Chinatown to get people to go out and eat when Covid-19 started spiking. You sure it isn't all these politicians who said stay at home for 4th of July but "protesting" BLM is perfectly fine? Meanwhile gathering at church isn't ok? How about the good doctor who told everyone to not go out and buy masks then later told people to buy them after the spread already started. What about the CDC failing to follow its own guidelines and made the test kits in house then had to delay usage after their labs were contaminated. How about Chris Cuomo who claimed he had the Rona but got caught out in public with his family then days later aired a BS episode of him coming out of the basement and pretending that he hadn't seen his family for 2 weeks?

How is it that MY attitude contributed to 150k deaths but you ignore all that?

 

[Squid Surprise]

Care to share with us what about my comment has contributed to 150k deaths? Which part of it is the "attitude" that contributed to 150k deaths and by proxy you're trying to make me feel guilty for those people who died?

You sure it wasn't the WHO who lied to the world causing massive deaths in Spain? What about all the politicians who cried racist when Trump issued a travel ban? Or Nancy Pelosi who went to San Francisco’s Chinatown to get people to go out and eat when Covid-19 started spiking. You sure it isn't all these politicians who said stay at home for 4th of July but "protesting" BLM is perfectly fine? Meanwhile gathering at church isn't ok? How about the good doctor who told everyone to not go out and buy masks then later told people to buy them after the spread already started. What about the CDC failing to follow its own guidelines and made the test kits in house then had to delay usage after their labs were contaminated.

How is it that MY attitude contributed to 150k deaths but you ignore all that? Take your worthless virtue signalling somewhere else.

The attitude of “I don’t think it’s that serious” which so many Americans have... and so they go about their daily lives not bothering to social distance... and cases in the US keep going up - as does the death rate...

THAT attitude!!!

If everyone would social distance, wear a mask when they can’t, and generally not be a compete m0ron, the US would be on the way to recovery instead of the nightmare they’re in now!