AMC to Open Second Wave of U.S. Movie Theaters This Weekend

Citing a “successful reopening” for its first wave of 100 theaters, AMC has announced the reopening of 170 additional U.S. locations this Thursday, August 27.

AMC reopened its first 100 locations—spread across 19 states and Washington, DC—on Thursday, August 20. Today’s announcement will have close to 300 AMC locations open for the Friday, August 28 release of The New Mutants. Boxoffice Pro’s weekend forecast, made before the announcement of AMC’s second wave, puts The New Mutants at a $5 million-$10 million debut weekend.

AMC plans to have approximately two-thirds of its approximately 600 U.S. locations open in time for the September 3 release of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

A complete list of the theaters in AMC’s second wave can be found here; they include the first AMC locations to reopen in Montana, South Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Utah.

“We are grateful for the positive feedback we have been receiving about our guests’ desire to see movies on the big screen at AMC, and about our extensive AMC Safe & Clean policies and procedures,” said AMC CEO and president Adam Aron. “Our comprehensive commitment to operating our theaters safely now includes social distancing through limiting ticket sales and automatic seat blocking, seamless contactless ticketing, greatly enhanced cleaning procedures, the availability of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes throughout our theaters, as well as a mandatory mask policy for all guests and crew members. In addition, we have invested millions for high tech solutions to sanitization and disinfection including electrostatic sprayers, HEPA vacuums and MERV 13 air filters. Guests returning to AMC can do so knowing that we’ve been in constant dialogue with top scientists and experts in public health and cleaning about how best to reopen our theaters in ways that will be responsible and welcoming.”

In addition to AMC’s Safe & Clean program, the chain has signed on to NATO’s CinemaSafe program, a recently announced slate of health and safety guidelines adopted by 315 exhibitors in the U.S.. “With so many different guidelines in different states, we believe it is critical that movie theaters commit to following basic guidelines no matter where they are, so moviegoers can return to their favorite pastime with confidence in our commitment to their health and safety,” said NATO president and CEO John Fithian at the time of CinemaSafe’s unveiling.

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from Boxoffice