Gov. Cuomo Not Budging on Movie Theater Closures: ‘We’re Still in a Pandemic’

What will the film industry look like in 10 years? Hell, what will it look like next year? No one really has any idea what to expect after everything settles down and the pandemic is in our rearview mirror. However, according to Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, one thing is for sure, there will be lasting effects, particularly with how feature films are released.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorNew York state on Monday published its reopening guidelines for movie theaters, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo has allowed to open (except in New York City and a handful of counties) on Friday for the first time since March.The guidelines don’t hold many surprises for operators that have already set up stringent CinemaSafe protocols developed by NATO with exhibitors and health experts.

AMC’s website, where they’ll be asked to pick a movie, date and time.The plan, first rolled out on Friday, comes less than a week after AMC warned it could run out of cash by early 2021.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorDonna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of Warner Bros had the same reaction Thursday when asked if their companies had any interest in buying movie theaters.They laughed.“We have no plans to do that currently,” Langley said, appearing with Sarnoff and CBS CEO George Cheeks on a Milken Institute Global Conference virtual panel about COVID-19’s impact on Hollywood.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe entertainment industry has turned its focus on Albany, N.Y., over the last week, as it escalates the pressure on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allow movie theaters to reopen.Inside the Capitol, Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy has also been rallying support for the industry.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorAs the exhibition industry teeters, global cinema owners beseeched New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to reopen theaters in areas of the state with low infection rates. The response was not promising.The executive committee of the Global Cinema Federation — led by Alejandro Ramirez Magaña, CEO of Cinépolis, in a letter to the governor Wednesday, praised the state’s progress in combating COVID and listed steps exhibitors have taken to keep patrons and staff safe.

The executive committee of the Global Cinema Federation sent a letter Wednesday to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo imploring the lawmaker — who has allowed indoor dining and other pubic-facing activities to resume operation — to let movie theaters reopen wherever possible.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday the Department of Health has charged concert promoter In the Know Experiences with public health violations at Southampton summer concert featuring the band the Chainsmokers.

Mike Fleming Jr Co-Editor-in-Chief, FilmEXCLUSIVE: MTV Documentary Films has acquired North American rights to 76 Days, a raw and emotional look at the struggles of the people of Wuhan, China, in the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak. Directed by New York filmmaker Hao Wu (People’s Republic of Desire) and China-based journalists, Weixi Chen and “Anonymous,” 76 DAYS made its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.

Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob told shareholders his Canadian movie chain will not reclose theaters as Hollywood tentpoles continue to be delayed to 2021 or get streaming releases amid the pandemic. "We're in a positive position from the theaters being open," Jacob, who is also chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners, which represents major cinema chains, told Cineplex's virtual annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCelebrated Korean director Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden”) will start production later this month on Korean-language drama film “Decision to Leave.” The cast is headed by China’s Tang Wei (“Lust, Caution,” “Black Hat”) and Korean actor Park Hye-il (“The Host,” “Memories of Murder”).The picture is produced by Moho Film and counts CJ Entertainment as its principal financial backer. CJ is also set as the distributor in its Korean home market.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsNearly 14 years after making his debut on the big screen, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat has returned. He’s back to take hits and troll everyone in his path, including President Donald Trump.Cohen’s comedic alter-ego joined Twitter on Friday and has since used the social media platform to criticize the sitting president about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest release playing at a New York movie theater? The battle between exhibitors and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

back in August that theaters would soon be up and running, still has not made good on his word, even as indoor dining, gyms and other businesses have started to reopen.Many movie theaters have had it, according to The Hollywood Reporter.“We are owed an answer. We’ve answered every question.

It isn’t just theater owners that are scared for the future of their businesses, as studios continue to delay films from 2020 into 2021 and beyond. Filmmakers, also, are very concerned about what the future if the industry might be like after cinemas continue to struggle and folks like Cineworld (parent company to Regal) have decided to voluntarily close down once again.

Director Patty Jenkins has warned that the future of cinema-going is in peril amid the coronavirus pandemic. "If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process," she told news agencyReuters in an interview from her home in Los Angeles.

Chelsea Handler hasn't been clear enough about her feelings for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, she's included her love for him in her upcoming comedy special.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorThe risk of patrons gathering as they come in and out of shows is one reason why New York State is reluctant to open theaters, or even publish guidelines ticking off measures that would lead to a reopening as it’s done with other industries, according to a state official.Exhibition players have been confused at the holdup and incredulous that bowling allies, casinos, gyms and now indoor dining is allowed across New York while cinemas remain shut, despite

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorNew York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all public and private schools in so-called hotspot zip codes in Brooklyn closed on Tuesday as COVID infections spike, in a setback to NYC’s reopening efforts.The news comes as the CEO of the nation’s biggest theater chain publicly blamed the governor for crippling the industry by keeping movie theaters across the state closed.

As North America's box office crumples, China's theatrical film business is back in an enormous way. A collection of high-profile local films released in China over the past week to coincide with the country's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period, which lasts eight days.