theaters were forced to close their doors due to the worldwide lockdown. Now, the company, along with other theater chains, sees itself nearing financial bankruptcy, wondering how it will battle through the pandemic. As of now, there are nearly three million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and almost 200,000 deaths worldwide.
Although the company is anxious to get back to regular business, we now know, via THR, that the chain will not be opening its doors until it has new releases to show. Considering the fact that Christopher Nolan’s Mulan are the first summer movies on the line-up, this will not be happening until mid-July at the earliest. AMC issued a statement saying “the health and safety of our guests and associates is our absolute highest priority.” The company hopes to “successfully showcase these exciting new releases in an environment that’s safe and welcoming for moviegoers.”
The CEO of another large movie theater chain, Cinemark, announced that they intend to follow a similar path as AMC. The company isn’t alone in its desire to be overly cautious during this pandemic. AMC currently has 6,300-plus locations in the US. This news comes days after the governor of Georgia announced his plans to reopen the state this week.
AMC’s decision, while disappointing to movie fans, seems like the most logical choice considering all that's going on. The company doesn’t want to start up regular business until they feel comfortable they can guarantee the safety of both their customers and staff. Not to mention, without any new wide releases, it would be hard for the company to profit financially. As of now, cinema goers will have to wait patiently, looking forward to the day that theaters reopen.
Source: THR
