Cinemas In California To Open As Early As FRIDAY Leaving Movie Studios Hopeful For A Strong Summer Season

The California Department of Public Health provided guidelines that could allow cinemas in CALIFORNIA to reopen by Friday, 12th June. Film studios welcomed the news which can provide a strong summer season to ideally compensate for the revenues lost during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Though the safety measures must first be approved by local officials, a cinema can reopen if it agrees to organise measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, such as limit attendance (capped at 25% of normal capacity or maximum of 100 people, whichever is lower), requiring patrons to where masks and stand two metres (six feet) apart when queueing to purchase tickets or food.  Other guidelines include creating a reservation system where guests arrive at various times; using disposable or washable seats covers and having ushers assist with social distancing by guiding cinemagoers in and out of the cinema.

Individual cinemas are able to make their own decision on when to resume operations. AMC Entertainment Holding Inc., the largest cinema chain in the world, has said its cinemas will remain closed through June; Cinemark Holdings Inc. will reopen between 19th June and 10th July; and Cineworld Group Plc (which owns Regal Cinemas) aims to be back in business in July.

Hollywood is hoping that a large number of cinemas will reopen for the summer blockbuster season. In the United States, Warner Bros is still projected to release Tenet, the much-anticipated thriller by Christopher Nolan on 17th July while Walt Disney will showcase Mulan on 24th July. 

Cinemas in the United States have been closed since mid-March. The estimated loss on a worldwide scale has been projected at $5 billion.

Written by Charysse Tia Harper of Xplore The World