Movie Theaters in Texas Won't Open This Weekend
by EG
Some Republican governors have pushed to reopen businesses in their states against the advice of medical experts. States like Georgia and Texas are encouraging businesses to reopen, but major theater chains say they won't open until the experts tell them it's safe to do so. Theaters aren't prepared, at the moment, to provide a safe environment for moviegoers, they say. And there aren't any new movies to show, anyway. Read on for details.
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on Monday cautioned consumers it won't reopen its Texas locations this weekend hours after the state said it would begin lifting stay-at-home orders instituted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alamo — headquartered in Austin — is one of the country's leading independent cinema chains and operates 40-plus locations across the U.S. Virtually all Alamo locations have have been shuttered since mid-March because of coronavirus concerns.
"Opening safely is a very complex project that involves countless new procedures and equipment, all of which require extensive training. This is something we cannot and will not do casually or quickly. We will not be opening this weekend," an Alamo spokesperson said in a statement. "But know this, when we do open, we will be providing the safest possible experience for both our staff and our guests and we can’t wait to see you all again!”
The statement came in response to remarks made earlier in the day by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who gave the go-ahead for certain businesses, including cinemas, to reopen as of Friday as long as crowds are limited to 25 or fewer people.
Alamo joins a chorus of theater circuits who say they don't expect to flip on the lights until summer even as a number of states begin relaxing shelter-in-place edicts. They include AMC Entertainment and Cinemark Entertainment, two of the country's three largest circuits (Cinemark, like Alamo, is based in Texas).
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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