Hurricane Shuts Down Coastal Theaters

As Hurricane Matthew roars toward the southeast coast of the United States, the major theater chains are taking no chances and closing down ahead of the storm. The closings will affect theaters from Florida to South Carolina, and they'll likely have a significant effect on the total box-office performance over the weekend.

The big theater chains, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, have closed theaters in south Florida, including the Miama area, and elsewhere in the state, including Orlando. The chains were not sure when the theaters would reopen but some said they were hopeful that they'd be back in business on Friday.

As of Friday morning, the storm had not yet made landfall, and its eye was off the coast near Daytona Beach. Its track was unclear, and there was still a chance that it could hit parts of Georgia and South Carolina with hurricane force.

Some observers expect that the adverse weather conditions could keep moviegoers home this weekend, even if theaters are open and showing movies. The most pessimistic estimates suggest that the storm could reduce overall box-office grosses by as much as five percent over the weekend.

This week's new movies include the thriller The Girl on the Train and the Civil-War drama The Birth of a Nation.