Despite Georgia governor Brian Kemp giving the go-ahead for movie theatres to reopen beginning April 27th, movie-goers in the Peach State shouldn’t expect many theatre options — if any — to actually be available by then. In a new report from Variety, industry insiders suggest the theatre industry is too far behind at the moment to catch up by next Monday. Due to the legions of furloughs and temporary lay-offs, as the report says, it’s virtually impossible to hire and train an adequate amount of staffers by the time the locations would be able open, now less than seven days from now.
If you’re hoping to catch a movie at Cinemark, AMC, or Regal at some point next week, you might not want to hold your breath. One representative from Cinemark has gone on record saying it’s entirely likely the chain will continue its temporary shutdown well into June. Cinemark is currently working toward a mid-summer opening date, contingent upon health and safety regulations, as well as availability of studio content,” the theatre’s statement to Variety reads.
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Outside of staff availability, the reopening of theatres has an even bigger problem — virtually all wide releases have been delayed throughout the summer. In fact, there isn’t a single feature — either wide or limited — still scheduled for theatrical release in May. When it comes to June, things don’t look too much better — just three movies (Greenland, Fatale, and The King of Staten Island) are currently scheduled for release and they’re all small-budget features.
The first blockbuster per se isn’t scheduled until July 10, when Blumhouse’s The Purge 5 is scheduled for release. That will then be followed by Tenet (July 17) and Mulan (July 24) — that is, of course, should the majority of theaters be opened by then. Due to the various delays throughout the entire industry, the last five months of the year are absolutely packed with theatrical releases, a sign that studios and theatres are fully prepared to wait for this whole thing to play out.
“Individual movie theater companies, in line with federal, state, and local guidelines, and in cooperation with health officials will decide for themselves when it is appropriate to reopen,” one spokesperson for the National Association of Theatre Owners tells Variety.
Cover photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images
