As we said yesterday, it was only a matter of time before AMC Theatres’ decision to delay the chain’s reopening until the end of July would impact the previously-announced dates for Regal Cinemas and Cinemark. And on cue, both of the other chains have revealed that their plans for reopening would also be delayed as studios try to figure out the best time to release films during a pandemic.
READ MORE: AMC Theatres Delays Reopening In Light Of New ‘Tenet’ Date
According to Deadline, Regal (the US’ second-largest cinema chain) has delayed its reopening plans until July 31, three weeks after its original date, due to the spikes in COVID-19 cases around the US (primarily in states that many were concerned opened too early and haven’t been following CDC guidelines for mask-wearing and other precautions) as well as the recent news that Warner Bros. is now holding Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” until August 12. AMC previously announced a similar delay.
Joining the first and second-largest chains is #3, Cinemark, which is taking a bit of a different approach to reopening. Instead of a full reopen on July 31, the chain is opening on July 24 but will do so with catalog films as a sort of pregame to the new films the following week. We still don’t know which catalog films will be available at Cinemark locations around the US on the 24th, but we do know what films are scheduled to be released starting at the end of the month.
READ MORE: Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Moves To Late August, & ‘Bill & Ted 3’ Shifts Again
Right now, it appears that Russell Crowe’s “Unhinged” will be the first to bow at these chains when the film opens on July 31. A week later, the rom-com “The Broken Hearts Gallery” is set to be released. Then on August 12, the highly-anticipated release of “Tenet” happens, followed by “Mulan” a week later. Then ending the summer season is “Bill & Ted Face the Music” on August 28 and “A Quiet Place Part II” on September 4.
Granted, these dates are all still TBD, as we’ve seen them all be delayed before at the last minute. With Los Angeles County and states like Arizona rolling back business reopenings due to spikes in COVID-19 cases, it’s unclear if the US will be prepared to support AMC, Regal, and Cinemark reopenings by the end of July. We could be looking at yet another delay in the future. So, for those hoping to see “Tenet” in August, make sure you wear a mask and follow the rules. Otherwise, you’ll be reading another version of this post in a month.
