AMC Theaters Are Going to Open in August
By George Robbins
Theaters have had a rough go of things over the course of the past few months due to the pandemic which began back in the middle of March. Movie theaters, like all other businesses in the entertainment industry have suffered from not being able to draw in crowds or allow gatherings due to the pandemic. Without people strolling through their doors, theaters have had absolutely no income and many people who worked for them have been out of work. In the time since that announcement was made that this was actually a pandemic, theaters have been consistently trying to reopen their doors to the public. In some places, they have actually managed to do so, but theater chains have yet to make any attempts to do so.
Though I say they haven’t made an attempt to reopen their doors to the public, this actually isn’t entirely true. Theater chains have been trying consistently, to come up with a date that they will actually be able to open their doors up again. The thing that differentiates them from privately owned theaters is the fact that chain must at least somewhat work in unison. In order to bring in a proper amount of income, theaters must be open in multiple locations as well as be able to sell out seats. Both the former and the latter have been difficult for companies to do because of the state of the nation right now.
When a second round of the coronavirus hit in the United States, many movies studios decided to push back the release dates of their movies to either late this year or some time next year. This has resulted in many movie theaters deciding to keep their doors closed until such a time that they can show new films to audiences. Although theaters that have been open have been showing films, they are all older films and don’t draw in large enough crowds. Other than theaters waiting for new releases, there is also the issue that many states are in a state of lockdown where theaters aren’t even allowed to be opened until there is a better handle on the virus. Theater chains were going to reopen at the end of July, but it seems that this is not something bound to happen.
Recently, the theater industry took even more of a blow when Warner Bros. announced that they would not be releasing ‘Tenet’ in August. Not only did they announce that they would not be releasing the film in mid-August like originally planned, but also that the release date is now undetermined. Essentially this means that the movie’s release date has been delayed indefinitely until WB decides it is a safe climate for them to be able to release the film. This movie was one that theaters have been following with their opening dates due to it being an upcoming Christopher Nolan blockbuster. Despite the film no longer being on the docket for release, AMC theaters seems to be going for the risky play by reopening their doors to the public by mid-to-late August. We will get to see soon whether this will work in their favor or be a hindrance to them.