Regal Cinemas to temporarily close all U.S. theaters
Santa Fe’s two locations have been shuttered since middle of March
The news Monday that all 536 Regal movie theater locations in the U.S. will temporarilyclose was moot in Santa Fe, where two Regal Cinemas have been shut down since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic in mid-March.
Movie theaters had been reopening in some other states, but Regal parent company Cineworld Group on Monday decided to shutter all Regal properties after learning the release of the new James Bond movie, No Time
to Die, scheduled for Nov. 2, would be delayed until April 2.
Other major movies set for holiday season releases also could face delays, according to a report in Variety, and the Sept. 3 release of Tenet struggled to attract audiences.
Regal, Violet Crown Santa Fe and Jean Cocteau Cinema closed March 17 in Santa Fe. The Center for Contemporary Arts closed its CCA Cinematheque
and The Screen theaters a few days earlier.
Theaters in Los Angeles and New York City have not reopened. Neither have any in New Mexico, where Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham isn’t likely to likely to budge much on her public health restrictions for recreation facilities, which include theaters.
“We have no insights when would the theaters open,” said Amy Whitebear, marketing manager at Santa Fe Place, where Regal Santa Fe 6 first opened in December 2018 with all
reclining seats.
Regal Santa Fe Stadium 14, across Cerrillos Road from Santa Fe Place at San Isidro Plaza, has not paid rent since April, said Jeff Branch, founder and CEO of Santa Fe-based
Columbus Capital, which owns the shopping center.
“That’s a significant hit,” Branch said. “I’ve been in constant touch with Regal since the pandemic started. The biggest problems they had is lack of supply from the studios.”
The pandemic has reduced business for most San Isidro Plaza tenants. But outdoor dining at some restaurants has brought in customers.
“A couple restaurants had higher sales in August than August last year,” Branch said.