Movie theaters likely to stay shuttered until July
This is the time of year when the multiplexes would typically be alive with the sound of blockbusters.
When $250 million behemoths depicting comic book heroes are plastered on multiple screens, when Tom Cruise, Disney special effects wizards and sky-high explosions make the cash registers go cha-ching.
But the popcorn machines have been stilled around the world since mid-March, with the coronavirus leading to the closure of movie theaters in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Some movie houses and drive-ins in this country have started reopening as states have relaxed their restrictions, but they’ve been left with little or nothing to screen, since most of this summer’s big releases have been moved to the fall or bumped to next year. Many news reports have also indicated that indoor movie theaters that have opened have drawn few customers.
As most of Southwestern Pennsylvania moves into the green phase of reawakening the economy, the chains that operate multiplexes in Washington County and its immediate vicinity will not be reopening right away.
The 14-screen multiplex at Washington’s Crown Center mall is operated by Regal Cinemas, the largest movie chain in the United States. A spokesman for Regal, based in Knoxville, Tenn., did not return a phone call or an email message seeking comment, but reports in multiple media outlets indicated that Cineworld, the London-based company that owns Regal, will be opening all of its theaters in July.
In a statement, the company said it has “put in place procedures to ensure a safe and enjoyable cinema experience for its employees and customers.”
Student drivers have been trying out their skills in its empty parking lot ,and posters from movies that came out in March still hang outside the Chartiers Valley Luxury 14 multiplex just outside Bridgeville. Phil Zacheretti, the president and CEO of the Phoenix Entertainment Group, which owns the multiplex, said it would be reopening July 1.
“Phoenix Theatres locations are opening on a case-by-case basis largely determined by the state and local health officials guidelines,” Zacheretti explained in an email message. “We have been planning our protocols for several weeks getting ready for an eventual opening that follows all state and local guidelines. We are also watching the Hollywood studios plans for releasing new film product.”
He also said that seating in auditoriums would be kept to 50% of capacity, “touch points” would be frequently sanitized, employees and customers will be separated by plexiglass at box offices and concession stands and staff will be wearing approved masks and gloves.
Marquee Cinemas, the proprietors of a multiplex in the Highlands shopping park just west of Washington County in Triadelphia, W.Va., could not be reached for comment.
No major releases are planned in June, but “Unhinged,” a thriller starring Russell Crowe, is set to be released July 1, followed by “Tenet,” a spy adventure directed by Christopher Nolan, the director of the “Batman” films, followed by a Disney remake of its animated hit “Mulan” on July 24.
The weeks-long shutdown of movie theaters has put at least one chain in jeopardy. AMC Theaters, which operates more than 1,000 theaters in the United States and Europe, including multiplexes at South Hills Village in Bethel Park and the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon, said in a regulatory filing this week they may not be able to survive the pandemic, particularly if its theaters cannot open and new releases are delayed.