Florida movie theaters are allowed to reopen on Friday, but that doesn’t mean they will.
From local nonprofit the Tampa Theatre to Regal Cinemas, movie houses aren’t sure when they will reopen their doors after shuttering due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this week theaters could reopen if they kept capacity at 50 percent. The latest orders apply to every Florida county except Miami-Dade. In Tampa Bay, at least, it seems unlikely any theaters will be operating by the weekend.
“We don’t have an opening day on the calendar yet," said Jill Witecki, Tampa Theatre’s director of marketing.
The theater is still sorting out what operating safely during a pandemic will look like, from sanitization plans to seating arrangements. It had been 85 days since the theater closed down, Witecki said.
“A building like ours is made to welcome crowds of people,” Witecki said, “and being in a crowd of people is what we can’t do right now."
Movie theaters, like malls have already done in the state, will likely install hand sanitizing stations, check employee temperatures and encourage customers to wear masks. But it’s hard to say how comfortable potential moviegoers will be sitting in a shared space amid the pandemic.
Regal spokesman Richard Grover said the company has not decided when to open its theaters, either.
“We are constantly following the information provided by authorities,” Grover said in a written statement. “In order to open our theatres, at first we will need to ensure the safety of our guests and employees. At the same time, we are working closely with our studio partners on when they will make their movies available.”
Due to the virus, many production companies have decided to push back movie premiers or shift them directly to at-home streaming services.
Cinemark, which has a location in Lakeland and a few others throughout the state, has said it will open its theaters on June 19.
AMC did not respond to a request for comment made by email to a spokesperson, but its CEO has said it hoped to reopen theaters by mid-June. The theater chain said in filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission this week it wasn’t sure how much longer it could survive if theaters had to remain closed. AMC, the country’s largest theater chain, says if it does not reopen this summer as planned it will need to borrow more money to survive.
Cinemax, which owns Cobb Theaters and CMX Cinebistro, also did not respond to a request for comment left by voicemail at its corporate office. The Miami-based theater chain, which has plans to open another theater at International Plaza in Tampa, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month.
Neither AMC or Cinemax have made any announcements on their websites or social media about planned reopening dates.
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June 05, 2020 at 09:45AM
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Even with the green light, Florida movie theaters are unsure when they’ll reopen - Tampa Bay Times
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