Regal To Reopen Theaters Beginning July 10
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A Hollywood film industry facing one of the biggest challenges in its history received welcome news Tuesday when theater chain Regal Cinemas announced it plans to begin reopening its theaters on July 10.
Regal, which has about 550 theaters nationwide, reports that it will reopen with several health and safety measures. They include requiring all moviegoers to wear masks and sanitizing all seats after each movie using an electrostatic disinfectant spray.
Customers will be encouraged to use the mobile app to buy tickets as well as concessions.
Employees will also have to undergo daily temperature checks, the company said.
While California public health officials gave the OK for movie theaters statewide to reopen beginning June 12, at the discretion of local counties, Los Angeles County itself has not yet given permission for its theaters to reopen.
Theaters in California can only reopen with 25 percent capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower. Regal Tuesday said it will keep two empty seats between each group in order to properly follow physical distancing guidelines.
AMC, which last week reported a staggering $2.2 billion in losses since the pandemic began, has yet to announce a reopening date for its chain.
Hollywood has two big summer tent poles scheduled for release next month. Disney's "Mulan," which was originally set to be released on March 27, is now coming out in theaters on July 24. The release date of the Christopher Nolan film "Tenet," which was to be released on July 15, was pushed back two weeks to July 31.
