AMC Sets Reopening Date of This Weekend for First New Jersey Locations

Following a July 31 announcement that movie theaters in New Jersey will be allowed to open this Friday, September 4, AMC has stated that two of their New Jersey locations (AMC Jersey Gardens 20 and AMC Wayne 14) will be open on that date. The chain’s remaining 25 locations in the state will open over the following week, with a second group of 7 cinemas expected to open their doors as early as Monday, September 7. The rest of AMC’s New Jersey cinemas “are set to open on or around” Thursday, September 10.

With a total of 27 locations, New Jersey represents the sixth largest state for AMC by screen count.

The governor of California has also allowed some theaters to reopen, though on a county-by-county basis. AMC’s first California locations will open on September 4 in the San Diego area. 70 percent of the chain’s domestic locations are expected to be back in operation in time for the release of Tenet (weekend box office forecast) in select U.S. markets this weekend.

Per government requirements, newly opened New Jersey theaters will be limited to a capacity of 25% or 150 moviegoers, whichever is less. In a statement, AMC CEO and President Adam Aron touted the chain’s Safe & Clean policy, a “comprehensive commitment to operating our theaters safely [that] 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. We’re also closely monitoring local and state guidance, and we are complying with any additional capacity restrictions. In addition, we have invested millions for high tech solutions to sanitization and disinfection, including electrostatic sprayers, HEPA vacuums and MERV 13 air filters.” AMC is one of 315 cinema operators across the United States to sign onto NATO’s Cinema Safe program.

Newly opened AMC locations in New Jersey will screen Warner Bros.’ Tenet, along with new releases The New Mutants, Unhinged, Words on Bathroom Walls, and The Personal History of David Copperfield and upcoming releases The Broken Hearts Gallery (9/11), Infidel (9/18), and Greenland (9/25). AMC is offering $5 food and beverage deals as well as double points on ticket and concessions purchases for AMC Stubs loyalty members. Both deals extend through the end of October.

Added Aron: “This is a great day for moviegoers in the state of New Jersey, for AMC and for our hundreds of employees in the state. We are especially pleased that our studio partners can rely on an expanding and enthusiastic audience for their new movie releases, as more and more states in the U.S. approve the opening of cinemas.”

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from Boxoffice