AMC Theatres to Remain Open During Coronavirus Pandemic, Cutting Capacity in Half

From Broadway theatres to Disney theme parks, so many places are shutting down over the coronavirus. The release dates for A Quiet Place Part II, New Mutants, F9, No Time to Die, and Mulan have all been delayed because of the coronavirus, and news of canceled events and postponed productions continue to pour in. However, despite the fact that most of March and April's big releases are being pushed back, AMC Theatres has decided to remain open during these dark times. According to The Hollywood Reporter, AMC plans to keep its doors open, however, there's a catch. They've decided to cut seat capacity in half for all theaters in the United States.

"AMC is proactively taking action to cut in half the number of tickets that we will make available at all our U.S. theatres," CEO Adam Aron shared. "With this action, we are facilitating the 'social distance' between guests who still want to see movies on a big screen." AMC also revealed they will be using "enhanced" cleaning measures on "high-touch point areas, including kiosks, countertops, restroom areas, glass, handrails, and doorknobs." Thie new protocol is expected to go into effect on all 11,000 screens in the country from March 14th until April 30th.

Despite so many movie cancelations, some new films did hit theaters last night, including Vin Diesel's Bloodshot, which managed to earn $1.2 million. The Hunt also hit theaters last night after a long delay and brought in $435K.

The spread of the COVID-19 has caused wide-scale disruption across the entertainment industry. Warner Bros. canceled the premiere of Superman: Red Son. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has delayed production. Riverdale has delayed production. Disney parks have shut down. Netflix is struggling to film Dwayne Johnson's new movie, Red Notice. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson both tested positive for coronavirus. The Game Developers Conference canceled its 2020 event after a series of company pullouts. London Book Fair was canceled. This year's SXSW was also canceled. Here's a current list of the television productions that have been shut down, and here's a list of the films that have been postponed.

For those who are worried about the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC offers a litany of tips, including covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding large gatherings or close contact with people who are sick, and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.