Roll it! NYC cinemas to reopen in March

Lights, masks, action!

Movie theaters can reopen in New York City in a limited capacity next month, Gov. Cuomo announced on Monday — the latest step back to normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting March 5, theaters will be allowed to reopen at 25 percent capacity or at a maximum of 50 people per screening, whichever is lower, Cuomo said in a phone press briefing.

Masks are mandatory, and seating will be assigned with social-distancing in mind, the governor said.

Patrick Corcoran, vice president of the National Association of Theater

Owners, cheered the announcement — while clamoring for a sequel.

“We look forward to expanding the capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent in the very near future so that theaters can operate profitably,” Corcoran said.

Matthew Viragh, owner of Brooklyn’s two Nitehawk Cinemas, said, “We’re built to run at a much higher capacity, obviously, so that’s the challenge here.

“It’s exciting news, but we also have to figure out how to run a place at 25 percent capacity and not run it into the ground.”

Viragh noted that the reopening date is exactly one week shy of the date that theaters in the state closed one year ago, March 12, 2020.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about in the sense of where has the year gone,” he said.

Meanwhile, beginning March 15, wedding and catering halls can resume operations at 50 percent capacity or up to 150 occupants, Cuomo said.