Movie Theater Openings in New York
Movie theaters in New York City planned to reopen on March 5th at 25% capacity. Regulations have been placed in which no more than 50 people can watch a movie and must wear masks, social distance, and follow other protocols. In addition, there will be increased standards for air filtration and purification.
These policies all fall under the Safe & Clean policies and protocols, developed with Clorox and Harvard University’s School of Public Health. More specifically, AMC will implement automatic seat blocking in each auditorium as well. Furthermore, the governor of NYC announced that testing will not be required before attending a film showing. This is in an attempt to better the entertainment industry that has suffered immensely over the past year.
Image credit: Unsplash/Jared Murray
AMC, the nation’s biggest cinema chain, will reopen all 13 locations promptly. Since August, as AMC has been reopening in other states, AMC has had over 10 million moviegoers across the country since the pandemic began and there has not been one single report of the virus in the movie showings. Their stock has also increased over 15% in the weeks following their NYC reopening.
In fact, there are many new movies to keep consumers interested in going to the theaters. Films such as the sequel, Coming 2 America in which a male heir to the throne, Prince Azeem, hopes to find his long, lost son. In addition, Moxie seems to be making quite a rumble with a shy teenager striving to call out sexism in her school. Directors are looking to create more coming-of-age films that can connect to everyone's state of mind, in an effort to allow humans to reconsider their everyday actions. Theaters have also created new ways to ensure safety for the public, like a private screening.
A new era of wonder begins with #WW84. Host a screening with a Private Theatre Rental at #AMCTheatres starting at just $149+tax for your family and friends, up to 20 total guests. Book Now: https://t.co/lEr4fQdB4S pic.twitter.com/jEJSamhMrP
— AMC Theatres (@AMCTheatres) March 12, 2021
This will benefit not only the cinema industry but the entire entertainment business as a whole. Mayor Cuomo reports, “New York City is a major market for movie-going in the U.S.; re-opening there gives the confidence to film distributors in setting and holding their theatrical release dates, and is an important step in the recovery of the entire industry. We look forward to expanding the capacity from 25% to 50% in the very near future so that theaters can operate profitably.”
