Cinemark Says It Will Remain Open Despite Regal Closures

Monday morning brought the news that Cineworld, parent company of Regal Cinemas, will be closing all of its locations in the U.S. and U.K. later this week. Theaters reopened over a month ago here in the States but have had trouble making money, even with the release of Tenet, so the company is closing temporarily to avoid heavier losses. Cinemark, however, isn’t stepping down. On Monday afternoon, the third-largest theatrical exhibitor in the U.S. confirmed that its theaters would remain open through the pandemic.

It does help that Cinemark doesn’t have any locations in New York City, which is the center of one of the biggest issues for chains like Regal and AMC. Theaters in New York haven’t been allowed to reopen yet, due to the safety protocols put in place by the state. The CEO of Cinemark cited the rules in New York as a major reason why the company was closing once again.

“Cinemark’s reopening plan was designed with multiple contingencies in place to ensure we are able to be nimble and react as needed to this ever-changing environment,” said a rep from Cinemark, according to Deadline. “We do not currently have plans to close our U.S. theatres and are continuing to align with demand, including reducing operating hours and days while we await new studio content to encourage theatrical moviegoing.

“Approximately 80 percent of our circuit is open, and we have consistently received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 97 percent of guests expressing satisfaction with Cinemark protecting their health and safety. We will continue to open theatres as governmental restrictions allow and look forward to welcoming even more moviegoers to enjoy this year’s newest films, our Comeback Classics and Private Watch Parties.”

It will be difficult for Cinemark and other theater chains to continue as the year goes on, however, seeing as how most movies have been pushed to 2021. The closure of Cineworld locations came shortly after No Time to Die was sent from November to April.

But for now, Cinemark theaters will remain open.

Do you think Cinemark will stay open through the end of the year? Let us know in the comments!