Dearth of blockbusters amid outbreak again delays AMC theater reopenings

With Major League Baseball and the NBA resuming play — albeit with coronavirus testing and safety protocols and without fans in the stands — Americans are getting back a small slice of normalcy and something to occupy their minds other than daily covid-19 case counts.

But cases are again spiking across the country, and the film industry has had a difficult time getting back on its feet.

With movie production slowed and in many cases halted, AMC Theatres announced Thursday it’s once again delaying the opening of its facilities.

“Mid-to-late August” is the new target, according to CNN. AMC had planned to begin opening theaters July 15 but moved that date to July 30 last month.

AMC pushes back theater reopenings https://t.co/LJQSjQbyWF pic.twitter.com/6WuNl1qlGj

— The Hill (@thehill) July 23, 2020

By then, AMC hopes, there might be blockbusters to show.

“This new timing reflects currently expected release dates for much anticipated blockbusters like Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” and Disney’s “Mulan,” as well as release dates for several other new movies,” it said.

Christopher Nolan’s new movie, “Tenet,” is being taken off the release calendar for the time being, CNN reports, making “Mulan,” a live-action reboot of the 1998 animated film, the next big title on the horizon, with an Aug. 21 release date.

California, home to the movie capital of the world, has reported 413,000 overall covid-19 cases, giving it the most confirmed infections of any state, the Los Angeles Times reported this week.

AMC has Pittsburgh-area theaters in, among other places, West Homestead, Delmont, Greensburg and Mt. Lebanon.

When its theaters do reopen, AMC has said it will require all guests to wear masks, set a cap for attendance at each showtime and upgrade ventilation systems, according to CNN.

The company initially said it wouldn’t make masks mandatory, with CEO Adam Aron saying the issue is political. It reversed the decision in June after receiving criticism.

The company has reopened nearly a third of its theaters internationally, mostly in Europe and the Mideast, according to The Hill.