Movie Theaters Cut Seating Capacity Over Coronavirus

By Rebecca Rubin

I know, I know. There are bigger things to worry about than not being able to go see the 3:30 showing of Emma. And I know you're probably ready to pull out your "Kim, people are dying" GIF and throw it in the comments. That's fair! You're completely right! But I also think every person gets to evaluate and grieve the many ways in which this pandemic has changed the way they live their life, and for me, this is a big one.

After a month of increasing anxiety and self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, audiences in the U.S. are largely not eager to return to public events once the crisis subsides, according to a new study.

The movie theaters in China are once again closing amid the global crisis.

By Anthony D'Alessandro

Movie theaters have endured world wars, depressions and recessions, and the advent of everything from television to streaming. But COVID-19 and the public health crisis it has generated around the globe represent an existential threat to the cinema business like no other.

Drive-In Movie Theaters are having a resurgence right now during the coronavirus outbreak.

By Anthony D'Alessandro

Movie theater owners are calling on Congress and President Donald Trump to take emergency measures to provide financial relief for an industry that’s been hit hard by the impact of coronavirus. Cinemas have shuttered and new releases have been delayed as the world grapples with an unprecedented global health crisis. The closures have resulted in furloughs and layoffs, leaving thousands of hourly employees who sell popcorn, take tickets, clean theaters, and other tasks without income.

Even under the best circumstances, Hollywood studios and exhibitors were concerned about how the 2020 box office would stack up in a year with decidedly less sure-fire hits. But now that movie theaters across the country have begun dimming their marquee lights for an indefinite period of time to help contain the spread of coronavirus, the industry is left with a confusing picture of when — and at what scale — Americans will return to multiplexes again.

Cinemark, the nation’s third largest movie theater chain, has joined AMC and Regal in closing down operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Movie theaters in multiple states — Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington — have been ordered to close in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered New York City’s movie theaters to indefinitely shutter due to the coronavirus pandemic — but that didn’t stop one Park Slope cinema from sending an ongoing message to its patrons.

All movie theaters in New York City and Los Angeles have been forced to closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered movie theaters in New York to close starting Tuesday at 9 a.m. in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

By Dino-Ray Ramos

By Anthony D'Alessandro

The first major movie theater closures in the U.S. have begun in parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey amid local government precautions being taken over the coronavirus pandemic.

And … cut!