ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The nation's largest movie theater chain, AMC, has decided to once again push back the reopening of its U.S. theaters amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to the company's Thursday announcement, movie theaters were set to reopen on July 30. Now, U.S. AMC theaters are projected to once again see movie-goers come mid-to-late August.
Hollywood has now gone more than four months without a major theatrical release. While some films have found new streaming homes, the biggest upcoming ones — “Tenet,” “Mulan,” “A Quiet Place Part II” — remain idled like jumbo jets on the tarmac.
Now, movie houses are saying that despite far from ideal circumstances, it’s time for new movies. Four months of near-zero revenue has brought the $50 billion annual business to its knees.
"This new timing reflects currently expected release dates for much-anticipated blockbusters like Warner Bros.' TENET and Disney's MULAN, as well as release dates for several other new movies coming to AMC's big screens," AMC wrote in a release.
AMC's theaters in Europe and the Middle East have already reopened since the pandemic began and are "operating normally."
The coronavirus pandemic forced most movie theaters across the nation to close their doors due to fears of virus spread. Since this change, people have turned to drive-in theaters and streaming services to get their movie fix.
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