Most Movie Theaters in California Will (Probably) Not Open This Week

Big chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark will not be opening on June 12 despite California’s consent

Most of the chain movie theaters in California will not be reopening on Friday, June 12, despite a green light from the state’s Department of Public Health.

The plan was announced as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Family Entertainment Centers plan on June 8, with Friday being the “recommended” start date. Per Variety, some of the movie theater-specific guidelines include:

• the necessity for face coverings to be worn at all times (except when eating or drinking),
• maintaining the physical distancing of six feet of separation at all times, including adjusting theater seats to meet these guidelines,
• limiting theater capacity to 100 patrons or 25% capacity, whichever is lower,
• implementing a reservation system to better limit theater capacities, and
• turning off public drinking fountains

The rules also call for stringent sanitation procedures, from frequent cleaning of “high-traffic” areas to the provision of hand sanitizer. Even spatial guidelines from entryways to the theater to space between cars in parking lots must be monitored.

Effective or Affective?

However, it’s likely that only smaller, independent movie theaters will take advantage of this opening date. According to Deadline, none of the large chains in California have announced their plans to reopen this Friday. This includes AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Alamo Drafthouse, Arclight Cinemas, Laemmle, Cinepolis, and Landmark. (This does not apply to drive-in theaters, which have already been allowed to reopen.)

Much of the speculation as to the delay points to the necessary time to restock concessions and safety supplies, and re-train staff on new safety procedures. Other analysts point to the “lack of marquee fare”, with the biggest title Tenet still not set to open until July 17. And still others wonder if the 25% capacity limit is even financially tenable for theaters for the foreseeable future.

California is currently in Stage 2 of its 4-stage reopening plan, meaning lower-risk workplaces of manufacturing, retail, and some office work are the only things that can reopen. Film production can start back up as early as June 12 but is subject to industry-specific guidelines and potential approval by county public health officers.

Novel Coronavirus Update

While not as drastic as New York’s situation, California has still been hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic. The state has seen over 133,000 positive cases of the virus, with nearly 4,700 deaths. While the number of new cases are declining, there are still hundreds of them coming in every day.

As of this writing, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports just over 1.9 million cases within the United States, including over 110,000 related deaths. The World Health Organization reports over 7 million cases of the virus worldwide and more than 404,000 deaths.

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.

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