AMC prepares to open more movie theaters

It’s showtime! AMC Theatres says it will have 98% of its U.S. movie theaters open Friday as more of them reopen in California. Additional theaters are expected to open by March 26.

AMC said that more than 40 of its locations in California are reopening beginning Friday. California is expected to open 52 of its 54 locations by Monday. The company is preparing to resume operations at the rest of its California locations once the proper local approvals are in place. AMC previously opened more than 500 of its theaters elsewhere around the country.

Movie theaters all over shuttered their doors a year ago as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. While some movie theaters have opened over the past few months with limited capacity and enhanced safety protocols, the announcement by AMC to open nearly all of its U.S. theaters by month’s end means more people will have more locations to choose from if they want to see a film on the big screen.

AMC’s announcement is welcomed by movie fans not only because more of them will get to return to AMC’s reclining seats and stadium style format, but because it means the company has hopefully put the worst behind it. In June, AMC cautioned it may not survive the pandemic, as its theaters closed and film studios started releasing more movies directly to viewers on streaming services.

But AMC stayed the course, slowly opening its theaters in states over the past several months when it was allowed to and pivoting its business. One of its outside-the-box moves included renting out theaters for private screenings to a limited number of people.

More theaters opening will also mean more jobs for people to go to. AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan says the company is welcoming back employees who were working for it prior to theaters being shut down, as well as bringing in new workers.

All will be trained on its cleaning and safety protocols, which include social distancing and automatic seat blocking in each theater, mandatory mask wearing, hand sanitizing stations and upgraded air filtration.