AMC Theaters, the largest theater chain in the United States, will shut its doors nationwide for between six to 12 weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move complies with local, state, and federal directives to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
Over the last few days, several states and cities have declared that venues like movie theaters, bars, and restaurants must close. The federal government also recommended that public gatherings shouldn’t exceed 10 people, making it impossible for movie theaters to operate.
“We are ever so disappointed for our moviegoing guests and for our employee teams that the new CDC guidelines that Americans should not gather in groups larger than 10 people make it impossible to open our theaters,” CEO Adam Aron said in a press release. “We will continue to monitor this situation very closely and look forward to the day we can again delight moviegoers nationwide by reopening AMC movie theaters in accordance with guidance from the CDC and local health authorities.”
Regal Cinemas, another popular theater chain, has also decided to close.
In a stunning move, Universal Pictures plans to make all of its new releases — including ‘Invisible Man’, ‘The Hunt’ & ‘Emma’ — available in homes as early as this Friday for on-demand 48-hour rental at the suggested price of $19.99 each. Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Trolls World Tour’, which was scheduled to be the first theatrical comeback Easter weekend April 10, will now also be released in homes and on the big screen on that day.
To be honest — we wouldn’t mind if same-day theatrical releases were part of studios’ new strategies moving forward. There could be a silver lining here!
