|
The seating arrangement, designed to encourage
social distancing among the 15 real-life patrons who will be
allowed into each screening, is one of the new safety measures
theaters are putting in place to reduce the chance of
coronavirus spread.
"We're going above and beyond to make sure that everything is
spotless and that audiences feel comfortable and safe being with
us for two to three hours," owner Christian Meoli said.
It is unclear, however, when Meoli and other theater operators
will be able to welcome back guests.
While about 780 indoor cinemas have reopened around the country,
officials in Los Angeles County, the largest moviegoing market
in the United States, have not yet given a green light, voicing
concern about a rise in coronavirus cases. New York City, the
country's No. 2 movie market, also has not set a date for cinema
reopenings.
The theater business has been devastated by the coronavirus
shutdowns that began in mid-March, laying off tens of thousands
of employees and borrowing funds to stay afloat.
The industry is hoping for mass openings in July, when
nationwide chains AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Cineworld's
Regal Cinemas are scheduled to be back in business. All plan
safeguards including limited attendance, extra cleaning and face
masks for guests and workers.
Movie theater owners were planning to offer "Mulan" and director
Christopher Nolan's thriller "Tenet" in July. Both were pushed
into August, with "Tenet," from AT&T Inc's Warner Bros., set for
Aug. 12 and "Mulan" for Aug. 21.
More shuffling of the schedule could come, depending on the
progress of the coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, the first widely released film on Hollywood's
schedule is "Unhinged," a road rage drama starring Russell
Crowe, set to debut on July 10.
Crowe said he was encouraged to hear reports that moviegoers
have been longing to head back to cinemas, especially for
thrillers.
"They wanted to be back in that place, in that safe place, in
that room, where all the craziness is just happening on the
screen, not necessarily in their own lives," Crowe said in an
interview.
In Los Angeles, movie fans had mixed opinions about heading back
to theaters.
"I'm a big cinema-goer, so for me, it would be just to make sure
that social distancing is in place" along with other steps such
as pre-packaging of concessions, said Sean Thomas, an accountant
visiting from Chicago. "That would make me feel comfortable."
Others were not so eager.
"You can watch movies at home, so I don't think that's super
essential," said screenwriter Matt Solsberg.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Rollo Ross;
Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
