AMC Theatres Reverses Course, Will Require Guests to Wear Masks

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.

MGM Resorts — which operates the Bellagio, MGM Grand and other properties in Las Vegas — is the latest entertainment firm to require a face mask policy for guests at its locations nationwide. The resort firm said that the new rules would go into effect on June 26.

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

Canada's Cineplex won’t require guests to wear face masks in its theaters when they start reopening later this month. The Canadian movie theater chain said it will require employees to wear masks and other protective equipment to help ensure a safe environment in its 165 theaters nationwide.

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).

website, “as related to our employees, guests will also be required to wear masks.”The moves come after critics on social media said that cinemas are not going far enough if they do not require customers to wear face masks.Earlier this week, AMC, Regal and Cinemark all said in their reopening plans that employees would be required to wear masks and other personal protective equipment, but the same would not be asked of customers unless local or state officials mandate the use of masks in public

Jordan Moreau Regal Cinemas has updated its reopening policy and will now require guests to wear face masks at their locations when theaters are able to resume business.“Our current mask policy requires both employees and guests to wear masks at all Regal theaters,” a company spokesperson told Variety. “Our ultimate goal is to create a safe environment for our guests and employees.

LOS ANGELES -- The nation’s largest movie theater chain changed its position on mask-wearing less than a day after the company became a target on social media for saying it would defer to local governments on the issue. AMC Theaters CEO Adam Aron said Friday that its theaters will require patrons to wear masks upon reopening, which will begin in mid-July.

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.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorAlamo Drafthouse will be requiring all of its moviegoers, coast to coast, to wear masks. “When we open, the safety of our teammates and guests cannot be compromised.

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.

with Variety, President Adam Aron said the move was an attempt to avoid “political controversy”.He said: “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary.”AMC, which is the largest cinema chain in the world, is instead encouraging the use of masks but will not make them compulsory in regions where they are not already required.“We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks,” Aron said.

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.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorRefresh for updates: AMC has made official their U.S. reopening plans after what will be a four-month shutdown due to COVID-19 with 450 U.S.