AMC Theatres Reopening July 15, Our Conversation With Circuit Boss Adam Aron

As we’ve written about dozens of times already, cinemas in the US are facing an existential crisis right now and the COVID-19 pandemic is only adding to this issue. Even without a global pandemic forcing theaters in the US to close for months, the theatrical exhibition business has suffered over the past several years as people just find other things to do other than visit cinemas.

Over the past three months, we’ve been fairly tongue-in-cheek with our insistence that Warner Bros.’ upcoming film, “Tenet,” really is going to dictate the return of cinemas after the COVID-19 pandemic. Obviously, “Tenet” is set to be the first major film to arrive in theaters since March and, as such, is allowing for big cinema chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark to reopen their doors and make some money.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaAMC Theatres, the world’s largest exhibition chain, is pushing back its reopening by two weeks.The move comes as coronavirus rates continue to rise in the United States, where AMC has the bulk of its operations, and after Hollywood blockbusters such as “Tenet” and “Mulan” delayed their release by several weeks. AMC said it now expects to open 450 of its more than 600 theaters on July 30.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorAs expected with NY and LA still un-opened, and Tenet, the first big event pic heading to Aug. 12, the No.

coronavirus. However, mask wearing was not a mandatory requirement for cinema-goers, only cinema workers.Speaking to Variety about the re-opening, AMC CEO Adam Aron said: “It might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary.”Adding that he thought “the vast majority” of cinema-goers would wear masks, he said he didn’t want to make it obligatory because they didn’t want “to be drawn into a political controversy.”However, following

Well, that certainly didn’t take long. AMC Theatres and most of the theatrical chains were playing a disingenuous game of “hey, don’t look at me, we just play movies, talk to your Governors” bullshit with the whole COVID-19, theatrical re-openings and face-masks conversation (if a business can refuse you with “no shoes, no shirt” policy, they sure as hell can do a similar mask one during a pandemic if they choose).

The last 24 hours have not been kind to AMC Theatres. Much like the rules laid out by Regal Cinemas and Cinemark, AMC announced its safety guidelines for when the cinema chain reopens in July.

Recently, we saw AMC Theatres, the largest cinema chain in the world, follow the lead of Regal Cinemas and Cinemark with announcing that facemasks will not be required by customers when the theaters reopen in July. This comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world’s cinemas to shut down for months.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaAMC Theatres has reversed course and will require all of its guests to wear masks when it reopens. The about-face comes after AMC chief Aram Aron ignited a deluge of criticism and controversy when he told Variety that mask-wearing would be encouraged but not mandated in states where it was not a requirement.

AMC has reversed its course and said that it will now require guests to wear masks at all its movie theaters nationwide.The country’s largest theater chain was criticized for the policy Thursday when it revealed its safety guidelines, though other chains like Cinemark and Regal have not required masks either.“This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks.

AMC Theatres is the largest cinema chain in the world. And as such, you’d expect the company to be the leader in how to move forward with the reopening of theaters in July, after being shut down for months due to COVID-19.

AMC Theatres — the largest cinema circuit in the world — will open 450 of its U.S. locations on July 15 followed by the remaining 150 on July 24, in time for Disney's Mulan and Warner Bros.' Tenet.

AMC Theatres has announced plans to reopen movie theaters around the country on July 15, but one surprising detail is that the company will not require guests to wear masks in states that don’t mandate it.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaAMC Theatres, the world’s largest exhibitor, has unveiled plans to re-open after coronavirus forced it to close its more than 600 venues in the U.S. for nearly four months.The company is expected to resume operations in 450 of those locations on July 15 and expects to be almost fully operational by the time that “Mulan” debuts on July 24 and “Tenet” bows on July 31.

With exhibition giant AMC Theatres' first-quarter results in the books, Wall Street analysts on Wednesday dissected the figures and management commentary, with their main takeaway being caution.

Exhibition giant AMC Theatres, hit in mid-March by a shutdown of its circuit amid the coronavirus pandemic, on Tuesday reported a deep first quarter loss due to onetime impairment charges, on sharply lower overall revenues.

Even more than usual, all eyes are on AMC Theatres and the company’s future. Sure, there’s plenty of talk about when the cinema chain will reopen its doors globally, but after last week’s regulatory filing, claiming that AMC might not be able to survive the losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, not only are people concerned about when they can watch movies on the big screen again but also if AMC will be there to show them.