AMC Theaters‘ CEO hopes movie theaters in the U.S. can reopen by mid-June. Earlier this month, the coronavirus pandemic caused most movie theaters across the country to close their doors in order to help flatten the curve and keep people safe. AMC Theaters was among one of the many chains to do so, with Regal Cinemas and Showcase Cinemas doing the same. With no end to the crisis in sight, many are bracing for several longtime changes to the entertainment industry, spurred by some studios’ new practice of sending movies to on-demand months ahead of time.
The widespread closures put theater owners in a difficult position since they aren’t earning any money. AMC in particular had to furlough thousands of employees, including its CEO. Directors such as Christopher Nolan and Edgar Wright have called for governments and movie lovers alike to help out where they can, and a new Senate agreement has managed to provide some assistance to struggling theaters. Because of that, the National Association of Theater Owners said they are confident theaters will be able to reopen once the coronavirus pandemic is over. However, it’s still very unclear when that will be able to happen.
AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron predicts a reopening around mid-June. He appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Alley and said the company was initially expecting to be closed for six to twelve weeks. Based on when AMC closed their doors, mid-June would place the reopening on the farther end of those estimates. Aron then went on to say he expects moviegoers to return to theaters in droves once they reopen, explaining, “I think if we learned anything in the last two weeks is people just so want to get out of their houses. I think we’re all feeling cooped up and want to get out and have life return to normal.”
Aron’s estimation of theater attendance could be a bit off based on a recent study, which evaluated people’s willingness to return to public spaces once the pandemic is over. According to the study, 49% said it would take some time to feel comfortable returning to movie theaters, while 28% they plan to visit theaters less often. While there were still some who seemed unaffected at the prospect of returning to regular life, the results of the study still indicated general attendance could be down.
One thing that might entice audiences back to theaters is the arrival of delayed movies. Several highly-anticipated 2020 releases have been delayed due to the pandemic, but audiences’ desire to see them has not gone away. While attendance might be down a bit at first, there’s still a fair chance that it will pick up once more as long as theaters don’t reopen until it is completely safe for them to do so. As of right now, that could be as early as mid-June in the case of AMC.
