The time has come. Theaters all across the US have officially closed. Sure, there are some holdouts still, but for the vast majority of theaters around the country, it’s likely they’re going to remain closed for the foreseeable future due, of course, to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, led by announcements from AMC and Regal.
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According to Deadline, AMC is leading the way by closing all of its US locations (630 locations) for the next six to twelve weeks. (Not so) coincidentally, the six-week window gives the chain enough time to open for Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow,” when that film is scheduled to be released on May 1. However, if the theaters remain closed for the entire twelve-week window, that would put us half-way through June, which would spell trouble for Warner Bros’ upcoming “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Regal Cinemas is also closing its US theaters (543 locations), but the chain didn’t give any timetable for when the locations are hoping to reopen (via THR). Realistically, much like the closures, reopening will likely happen in a chain reaction led by one or more of the big companies. So, at this point, the closure is probably going to follow the AMC model of at least six weeks and likely up to twelve weeks total. But again, with no end in sight for this pandemic, it’s hard to even know if that’s probable at this point.
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Other smaller chains have also followed suit, with both Landmark and Alamo Drafthouse closing their US locations. The only major holdout, for now, is Cinemark, but it feels like an announcement is imminent, as there’s really no way that the company can justify staying open if the two biggest chains in the country have shuttered for at least a month and a half.
Obviously, this means the box office is effectively shut down, which is why we’re seeing studios begin to adjust their VOD release schedule, giving fans options to view first-run films in the comfort of their self-isolated homes.
