AMC Pushes Reopening Back By Two Weeks To July 30

AMC announced on Monday that it will push back its theaters’ reopening by two weeks until July 30.

Part of the reason for the delay is due to the fact that many movies that were set to hit theaters have also pushed back their release dates. AMC’s reopening will align with Disney’s Mulan, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and Unhinged starring Russell Crowe which was moved from July 10 to July 31.

AMC CEO Adam Aron made a statement on June 29 and said, “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.” 

Earlier this month, Aron revealed that extensive measurers would be taken to ensure the safety of moviegoers such as requiring them to wear a face mask. On June 19 he said, “We will constantly monitor the scientific community’s latest thinking as to the efficacy of mask usage. We also will be looking at the varying health conditions in specific localities around our theatres all across the country. This will help us to determine what our mask policy will be as we go forward, as well as to make any other needed changes to this policy.”

AMC released health and safety tips that included reduced auditorium capacities, enhanced procedures and simplified menus with no refills. 

Movie theaters have been shut down due the coronavirus pandemic since mid-March and many film release dates had been postponed for the same reason. In public filings, AMC had acknowledged that it may not recover as quickly as other businesses once it is able to open back up again. 

The company stated, “Even when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, we cannot guarantee that we will recover as rapidly as other industries, or that we will recover as rapidly as others within the industry due to our strong footprint in densely populated areas.”