Here’s a round-up of movie theater-related news happening in both the U.S. and abroad in the wake of the pandemic.
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AMC Entertainment Holdings – particularly, their AMC Theatres brand – has been going through a particularly rough patch as of late. The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close many of their theaters back in March. This led to the laying off of more than 600 employees, a downgraded credit rating, and speculation of permanent closure. What’s more, AMC has banned Universal Pictures films from their theaters after the distributor abandoned the traditional theatrical window agreement. AMC has long been at the forefront of the theatrical window rule, so their steadfastness didn’t come as too much of a surprise. But then again, neither did the public’s embracing of VOD and virtual cinemas, either, as distributors scrambled to adjust their upcoming slates. Still, it raises eyebrows when the U.S.’s largest theater chain bans a Big Six studio’s library from its screens. Not to mention it was a gutsy move, too, given their aforementioned financial troubles.
U.K. Closed Through July
Movie theaters in the United Kingdom will remain closed through at least July 4, 2020. According to the U.K. government’s plan for reopening procedures, movie theaters as classified as “leisure facilities”. This places them under the “Step Three” section of the plan, meaning they will take longer to reopen due to the higher risk associated with them. Similar leisure facilities include restaurants, hair salons, and houses of worship. According to the guidelines: The plan also states that some businesses could remain permanently closed, while others will “go through phased and pilot reopenings in order to gauge their ability to adopt new guidelines”. There’s no clear indication where the U.K.’s cinemas fall in that dichotomy.
Contactless Korean Cinemas
South Korea is implementing contactless technology in some of its movie theaters to bring back patrons sooner rather than later. Dubbed “untact” in local jargon, the technology utilizes robots, kiosks, and mobile apps to assist with ticketing and customer service. Even concession bars have been replaced by “LED-controlled pick-up boxes”, which seem to be high-tech snack machines. Korean exhibitioners CJ-CGV and Lotte Cinema are spearheading the move to “untact”, reportedly reconfiguring their spaces throughout the country with the new technology. In particular, nearly one out of every five complexes owned by Lotte Cinema in South Korea are now contactless. CJ-CGV predicts that this “untact” will soon become the new cinematic normal. While a socially-distant structure will keep things safe and sanitary, one also has to wonder if and how (former) workers and laborers will be provided for in this era of excessive automation. Still, it will be interesting to see if these new mannerisms will remain regional or will be adopted worldwide.
Novel Coronavirus Update
The novel coronavirus, resulting in the COVID-19 disease, has affected governments and industries all throughout the world. As of this writing, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports just over 1.3 million cases within the United States, including over 78,000 related deaths. The World Health Organization reports over 4 million cases of the virus worldwide, with more than 278,000 deaths.
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Keep abreast on our reporting of the outbreak as it pertains to the entertainment industry here. You can also watch IndieWire’s listing for more frequent updates. Stay inside, stay healthy, and stay safe.
