As for Cleveland area theaters, here’s the opening schedule:
AMC CLASSIC Ashtabula Mall 6
Reopening 9/3
AMC CLASSIC Solon 16
Reopening 9/3
AMC Ridge Park Square 8
Reopening 8/27
AMC Westwood Town Center 6
Reopening 8/27
New safety precautions in place include opening theaters at reduced capacity, required masks on the part of both employees and customers (though masks can be removed while eating or drinking, and, y’know, large darkened room), cashless transactions, and enhanced cleaning procedures.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit AMC hard. The company closed the doors to all of its theaters in March, only now reopening in late August.
June was a particularly bad month, with the company releasing a regulatory filing basically saying there was “substantial doubt” that they could remain in business. Later that month CEO Adam Aron got roasted for a 24-hour flip-hop where he first said the theater chain would not require customers to wear masks, and then a day later reversed course (good call in the end).
AMC is attempting to resume the majority of its operations in time for a Sept. 3 opening of the new Christopher Nolan movie Tenet, betting on a big box-office turnout as a way to reverse a dismal year of business.
This article appears in Aug 12-25, 2020.