The reopening will be done with a maximum capacity of 25% of the usual capacity and a limit of 50 spectators per room, said New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. It’s a breath of fresh air for the film industry in the United States, deprived of its two largest markets, Los Angeles and New York.
In New York, theaters have been closed since March 17, 2020, by decree of the mayor, Bill de Blasio. The decision comes as the number of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in New York City returns to early December levels, the start of the second peak of the pandemic.
New York City is now aligned with the rest of the state, where theaters were allowed to reopen in mid-October.
Not viable for some rooms
However, some cinemas in the rest of the state have decided to remain closed, believing that a reopening would not be economically viable. The low tonnage, restrictions on the sale of food and drink, as well as the lack of films likely to attract viewers, have thus dissuaded several operators from taking the plunge.
The release schedule has been shaken up by Hollywood studios which have postponed the arrival of most big budget movies.
Disney and Warner have maintained a few titles, but opted for a simultaneous release, such as “Raya and the Last Dragon”, which will arrive in theaters and on the Disney + platform in early March.
For the American association of cinema owners (NATO), “the reopening (in New York) will give film distributors confidence to set release dates and stick to them.” “It is also an important step in the recovery of an entire industry.”
Already licensed in San Francisco
In a statement sent to AFP, Adam Aron, CEO of the AMC channel, the largest in the United States, announced that the group’s 13 theaters in New York would reopen on March 5.
Asked by AFP, Andrew Elgart, independent owner of three cinemas in New York, said he would “probably not” reopen on March 5, although he is studying the possibility of doing so later. It is “not certain” that a restart is profitable under these conditions.
There are currently no plans to reopen in Los Angeles. In San Francisco, the country’s third-largest market, the authorities authorized the reopening last October, but many operators have chosen to remain closed, deeming the conditions imposed too disadvantageous economically.
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