Coronavirus Outbreak: AMC pushes back plans to reopen in mid-July by two weeks after Tenet, Mulan release get postponed

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday, 29 June, announced he was taking a “hard pause” on when movie theatres in the city can reopen, citing an increase in coronavirus cases.

Los Angeles County is the biggest movie theater market in the United States.

“We have hit a hard pause on opening any more businesses such as movie theatres, bowling alleys, playgrounds, concert halls, theme parks or other entertainment venues,” Garcetti said at a news briefing.

He did not give a date for when movie theaters in Los Angeles might be given the green light to reopen.

The theatre business has been devastated by the coronavirus shutdowns that began in mid-March, laying off tens of thousands of employees and borrowing funds to stay afloat.

Garcetti said the rise in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles in the last few days meant that it was “time for a collective course correction.”

Meanwhile, AMC Theaters, the largest chain in the US, is pushing back its plans to begin reopening theaters by two weeks following the closure because of COVID-19. The company said on Monday that it would open approximately 450 US locations on 30 July and the remaining 150 the following week.

The company had planned to begin opening theaters in mid-July, but last week the July theatrical release calendar was effectively wiped clean when Disney and Warner Bros. decided to delay the releases of Mulan and Tenet to August dates.

AMC CEO and President Adam Aron said that its general managers across the US started working full time Monday to get their buildings ready to reopen.

“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,” Aron said in a statement.

However, plans could continue to change given the surge of cases in a number of states. Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the city would delay reopening cinemas while it continued to research the safety of indoor, air-conditioned venues.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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