New Yorker Cindy B. was one of the first at the doorstep of the AMC Empire 25 theater in Times Square this Friday, when New York theaters reopened a year after being abruptly closed due to the coronavirus.
“By God, I’m so excited to be back. I’m not working, so I need something to do!” This woman in her 60s told AFP, before buying a ticket to see “Raya and the Last Dragon “.
Theaters in the Big Apple resumed operations for the first time since March 17 of last year, when the authorities decreed their closure as a result of the covid-19 that was then beginning to devastate the city.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last month that theaters will be able to operate at 25% capacity – or a maximum of 50 people per screen – beginning March 5.
Anxious, Cindy arrived at the cinema at 10:00 a.m., 30 minutes before the doors opened and a full hour before the film began.
“I am a fan of movies. I went to the movies once a week, so last year I almost went crazy,” said this woman who did not want to reveal her last name.
But he needn’t have worried so much, since the room, normally packed with tourists, was almost empty.
“I thought there would be a long line. But I guess a lot of people have already started working,” Cindy said.
The use of a mask and social distance are mandatory in theaters. AMC has installed special air filters and is sanitizing each room between screenings.
Cindy said she was not afraid of catching the virus.
“I have two masks. I have disinfectant tissues, I have hand sanitizer. I have everything!” He said.
Roy Evans was another of those who waited outside on this chilly morning for the doors of AMC Empire 25 to open, desperate to re-experience a movie on the big screen.
“I spent the last year lying on the couch, at home, watching television,” the 68-year-old man told AFP.
“It’s good to get up from that chair and go to a real movie theater,” added Evans, who was about to see “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
– Liam Neeson –
Thomas Levesque, 28, agreed.
“Netflix is cool and all but it doesn’t have that movie theater atmosphere and my TV isn’t a huge flat screen either,” he said.
The partial reopening of one of the largest movie markets in the United States, when theaters in Los Angeles remain closed, provides some relief to an industry badly hit by the virus.
Actor Liam Neeson was scheduled to personally thank those who came to a room in Manhattan this afternoon.
AMC, which required nearly $ 1 billion in emergency funds to avoid bankruptcy, is reopening its 13 multi-room complexes in New York.
However, the owners of smaller, independent cinemas say that it is not business to open theaters yet.
“At 25% capacity, it’s a challenge,” said Andrew Elgart, who will phase-open his theaters in Brooklyn and Queens later this month.
The reopening comes as authorities gradually ease restrictions in New York, where the virus has killed more than 29,000 people.
Madison Square Garden welcomed NBA and NHL fans last week, while Broadway theaters and concert halls may reopen with limited capacity on April 2.
“This is definitely a step towards a return to normalcy,” Cindy said before sitting down in the room.
pdh-you / lbc / me
–
