Cinemas in the Time of Coronavirus: AMC Sells Off Baltic Branches; CA & NJ Theaters Start Reopening

AMC sells off branches in Eastern Europe, while the East and West Coasts in the U.S. plan for a slow reopening of movie theaters

Entertainment venues, particularly movie theaters, have been some of the hardest-hit businesses in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Theaters in Europe and Asia have been slowly reopening these past few months after prolonged closures throughout their continents. Theaters in the U.S., on the other hand, have been much more sporadic in their closures, re-openings, and safety protocols. Some companies have managed to survive, while some have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic’s side effects.

Here’s a brief round-up of movie theater-related news happening in both the U.S. and abroad in the wake of the pandemic.

AMC Sells Off (Some) European Locations

According to the Hollywood Reporter, AMC Theatres has sold off nine of its Baltics locations for €65M, or $77M. The cinema group Up Invest, which is based in the Baltic region, will now oversee these branches’ operations. Some of these locations, spread throughout Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, were originally purchased by AMC back in 2017 from the Nordic Cinema Group.

“This transaction marks yet another bold and decisive action taken…to bolster our liquidity and strengthen our balance sheet at a transaction multiple that underscores the inherent value of our theatre portfolio and resilience of our business,” AMC’s CEO Adam Aron said in a press release.

AMC has been making headlines for much of the year, from rumors about an Amazon buyout to debt restructuring to the their on-and-off dispute with Universal. Oh, and of course the kerfuffle over their original mask mandate (or lack thereof). This recent sale seems like another pressure valve to relieve their financial burden, if only in the smallest of ways.

Yet Aron is still optimistic about the company’s future. He is “encouraged by attendance levels at theaters that have reopened”, and cites “growing consumer confidence” as a good sign.

Theater Re-openings

California and New Jersey have both released plans for reopening their states’ movie theaters within the coming weeks.

California

On Friday, August 28, California Governor Gavin Newsom laid out a Blueprint for a Safer Economy that would help determine which businesses would be allowed to reopen on a county level. The blueprint assigns each county a rating based on COVID-19 case and positivity rates.

87% of the state’s population resides in counties that are at “widespread” risk (meaning more than 7 new daily cases per 100,000 people and/or more than 8% positive COVID-19 tests), so only outdoor theatrical venues like drive-ins can remain operational. Other counties that are of “substantial”, “moderate”, or “minimal” risk can start to reopen indoor movie theaters, but with restrictions. This includes some larger counties like San Francisco and San Diego, which are both at a “substantial” risk level (4-7 new daily cases and/or 5-8% positive testing rates). These counties can start to reopen their indoor movie theaters, but they must cap attendance to 25% or 100 people – whichever is fewer.

Less than 2% of the state’s population lives in “moderate” or “minimal” risk counties, which allow for greater leniency with their theaters’ attendance caps.

New Jersey

As for the East Coast, movie theaters in the Garden State will be able to open as early as Friday, September 4. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy made the announcement during his COVID-19 press release on August 31.

Unlike California, New Jersey won’t be broken up by county-specific guidelines. All of the state’s indoor movie theaters can reopen but with a cap at 150 attendees or 25% capacity – whichever is fewer. Social distancing must be maintained at all times, with non-related attendees being seated at least six feet apart from each other. Masks must also be worn at all times, except when eating or drinking.

This comes on the heels of a turbulent past few months in New Jersey’s exhibition world, when the National Association of Theatre Owners sued the state for allegedly infringing upon their First Amendment rights. The courts eventually ruled in favor of the state, citing continued health concerns and “ample alternatives” for public entertainment.

“We are able to take all these steps today because of the hard work millions of you have done to keep pushing down our positivity rate and our rate of transmission, said Gov. Murphy in his address. “….[But] we can[‘t] let up on our vigilance even one bit. We know this is a virus of opportunity. So, let’s not give it any unforced opportunities.”

Novel Coronavirus Update

The novel coronavirus, resulting in the COVID-19 disease, has swept through the world over the past few months. It has left many industries – especially the entertainment industry – devastated and scrambling to readjust to new normals.

As of this writing, New Jersey has seen almost 192,000 total COVID-19 cases and over 14,000 confirmed deaths, with a statewide transmission rate currently at 0.9. California has seen over 704,000 COVID-19 cases and almost 13,000 deaths, with the statewide positive test rate averaging 5.3%.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention currently reports over 5.9 million cases within the United States, and over 182,000 related deaths. The World Health Organization reports  25.1 million cases of the virus worldwide and more than 844,000 deaths. The United States currently leads the world in the number of COVID-19 cases, followed by Brazil, India, Russia, and Peru.

Keep abreast on our reporting of the outbreak as it pertains to the entertainment industry here. Stay inside if you can, stay healthy, and stay safe.

Leave your thoughts on AMC selling off Baltic locations and both California and New Jersey’s theater reopening plans (via THR, Deadline [1, 2], and NJ.com) and this article below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more movie news can visit our Movie News Page and our Movie News Twitter Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.