Posted in: Movies | Tagged: cinemark, movies

Cinemark Reportedly Plans to Stay Open…At Least For Now

Two days ago, we got word that Cineworld would be shuttering all of their UK theaters and closing all 500+ Regal Cinema locations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This was a massive blow to the industry as more and more movies continue to get pushed back to 2021 with the hope that everyone will have their shit together by next year. The lastest reported delay is that of Dune with No Time To Die, delayed just a few days before the Cineworld closures. Now we are getting reports from Deadline that Cinemark, the third biggest theater chain in the United States, has pledged to stay open, at least for now, despite being there being a pandemic.

The restrictions in New York have been specifically cited as a reason for the Regal closures, but Cinemark is a different animal. They don't have any New York theaters save for one in Rochester, so, as Deadline notes, they aren't as impacted by the continued closures as Regal or AMC.

"Cinemark's reopening plan was designed with multiple contingencies in place to ensure we are able to be nimble and react as needed to this ever-changing environment. We do not currently have plans to close our U.S. theatres and are continuing to align with demand, including reducing operating hours and days while we await new studio content to encourage theatrical moviegoing," said a Cinemark rep. "Approximately 80 percent of our circuit is open, and we have consistently received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 97 percent of guests expressing satisfaction with Cinemark protecting their health and safety. We will continue to open theatres as governmental restrictions allow and look forward to welcoming even more moviegoers to enjoy this year's newest films, our Comeback Classics and Private Watch Parties."

So Cinemark is continuing to chug along at least for now, but who knows how long that is going to last. At the moment, there isn't any word about what AMC Theatres is planning on doing or if they will keep their doors open during the pandemic. As for smaller and more localized chains, some of them are remaining open with their hopes pinned on releases like Soul and now Wonder Woman 1984. That kind of pressure is a lot for any movie to carry, and distributors thought that Tenet was going to be the thing to save us all. That doesn't appear to be the case with its small domestic box office. Things aren't going to get better until the United States gets its collective shit together and handles COVID-19. For the love of god, people, wear your damn mask.

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