Following in the footsteps of Regal Cinemas, AMC Theatres announced on Monday that all of its locations in the United States would be closing due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. People have been advised to self-quarantine as the government attempts to get a handle on the spreading virus, which means that most social gatherings need to come to a halt. This includes movie theaters. Many studios have already delayed their biggest upcoming releases out of concerns stemming from the coronavirus. Now, the majority of theaters in the United States will be closed.
AMC represents the largest theater chain in the country, with 630 locations nationwide. As of Tuesday morning, all of them will be closed. They will remain closed for a period of 6 to 12 weeks.
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“We are ever so disappointed for our moviegoing guests and for our employee teams that the new CDC guidelines that Americans should not gather in groups larger than 10 people make it impossible to open our theatres,” AMC CEO and President Adam Aron said in a statement. “Still, the health and wellbeing of AMC guests and employees, and of all Americans, takes precedence above all else. We will continue to monitor this situation very closely and look forward to the day we can again delight moviegoers nationwide by reopening AMC movie theatres in accordance with guidance from the CDC and local health authorities.”
AMC A-List, the service that allows patrons to see free movies by paying a monthly membership fee, will be put on pause while the theaters are shut down. No one subscribed to A-List will be charged during this time.
“Members will be notified prior to this pause expiring and will have the option to choose to extend the pause for another month if they so desire,” AMC wrote in a statement. Additionally, any A-List member who did not renew their membership any time so far in calendar year 2020 will not have to wait the customary 6 months to rejoin.”
