In a bid to support social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19, several movie theaters are deciding to close their doors in a truly unprecedented move.
AMC Theaters, which is the largest theater chain in the country, has decided to close all of its U.S. locations which consist of 630 locations and 11,000 screens. The closure begins today and AMC is predicting that the closures will last between six-twelve weeks. If the closure should last on the long side of that timetable, it will be very problematic for the May & June release schedule. Most films have vacated their April release dates but films like BLACK WIDOW & WONDER WOMAN 1984 currently remain on their May 1 & June 5 release schedule. I honestly can't see BLACK WIDOW staying on its target for May 1 while WONDER WOMAN 1984 has a better shot since its release is further down the road but without the proper amount of theaters to showcase the films, the studios behind them may cut their losses and try to date them at another time.
Regal Cinemas also decided to close all of its U.S. locations. As the second-largest theater chain behind AMC, the closure of Regal is another big blow for an industry trying to cope with a virus that has made Hollywood go dark. Unlike AMC which gave some kind of timetable as to when they could reopen, Regal just said the closure will last "until further notice." The theater chain will also go dark as of today, joining AMC in a near-immediate closure following the announcement.
The closures are also hitting indie movie chains as well. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema decided to shut down yesterday and they left a poignant note on their website that read "Goodbye for now. But we'll be back! When we reopen after this unprecedented and indefinite hiatus, it will be in a dramatically altered world, and in an industry that’s been shaken to its core. We’ll be in close contact over the coming days and weeks with our teams, suppliers, and colleagues on what these closures mean and what we plan to do next." The news of Alamo's closure also came with the news that other chains such as the Landmark, Harkins Theaters, Showcase Cinemas, and Bow Tie Cinemas all decided to close as well. Arclight and Pacific Theaters have yet to announce closures but they are expected to very soon.
The theater closures come as the box office hit a 22-year low over the weekend due to the possible fear of going out and being around crowds as well as theaters such as AMC cutting capacity by 50%. Within the last 48 hours, more than a dozen states and locales have mandated that movie theaters, bars, and restaurants must close, including in New York City and Los Angeles, the country's two busiest moviegoing markets. At some point, the bleeding had to stop and as moviegoing took a tumble this weekend and several high-profile films move off their release dates indefinitely, the problem wasn't going to get any better.
The upside is that studios are trying to provide moviegoers who are self-isolating with something to watch, NBCUniversal will be offering Universal's THE HUNT and THE INVISIBLE MAN and Focus Features' EMMA for rent on various platforms as early as Friday. The titles can be rented for $19.99 for 48 hours. Also in April, animated film TROLLS WORLD TOUR will open day and date on premium VOD and in those theaters that remain open in various parts of the globe. Warner Bros. made a similar move by announcing that BIRDS OF PREY & THE GENTLEMEN will be available early on VOD beginning March 24. The titles were originally slated to hit VOD services in mid-April.
I spent a lot of time yesterday consumed by what this pandemic has done to basic living in what seems like record time. Other than being lucky enough to write for this site, I work in the service industry and while we planned on closing the restaurant within a few weeks for renovations, the decision was made for us to close immediately. Some people don't have the luxury of working from home and overnight I saw so many friends in my industry suddenly wondering what they were going to do for money. Movies provide us with entertainment and the theater closure is bad for the movie business but there is also a slew of employees who rely on their paycheck from these places and to hear you're closing indefinitely, doesn't offer up much hope that this will get better anytime soon. Whether you feel the reaction to the coronavirus is an overreaction or a cause for genuine concern, what is very real is how quickly so many lives have changed in mere days.
Do YOU know anyone personally affected by any closures within the movie industry? Do YOU think it was the right move to close?