Gov. Mike DeWine’s list of Ohio businesses allowed to reopen Wednesday includes indoor movie theaters, one of the industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
But given ongoing COVID-19 concerns and issues of social distancing in enclosed gathering spots, are theaters reopening?
The answer is not quite yet.
Starting June 19, the Ohio Theatre in Loudonville will show a new movie every Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., according to Sally Hollenbach, theater director. The first movie will be "Trolls World Tour."
Plus, as part of the Park National Bank Summer Movie Series, the Ohio Theatre will show a second movie Monday and Wednesday afternoons at 1:30 p.m., starting June 22. The first movie in this series is "Kung Fu Panda."
The theater is required to limit the number of seats for social distancing purposes, Hollenbach said.
"We have blocked off every other row with caution tape, which happens to be 6 feet apart," Hollenbach said. "Family groups can still sit together in the designated seating areas, and there will need to be two empty seats in between each different group."
The theater will also have markers placed 6 feet apart in the lobby to restrict the number of people in line at one time for the ticket booth and concession stand, Hollenbach said.
Cinemark
The Texas-based theater chain Cinemark, which has 4,645 screens in 42 states and operates Tinseltown U.S.A., Cinemark Movie Bistro and Carnation Cinema 5 in Stark County, is planning to reopen in four phases from June 19 through July 10.
“The full timeline of theater reopenings across the U.S. is not currently public but will be announced in the coming weeks,” Caitlin Piper, of Cinemark public relations, said Tuesday.
In a statement about reopening, Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi noted that safety procedures will include Plexiglas screens at the box office and concession stands, social distancing in lines, seat disinfection between each show, frequent disinfection of high-touch areas, hand and seat sanitizer provided for guests, staggered show times to minimize crowds, and masks required for employees and encouraged for guests.
Initially upon reopening, Cinemark theaters will be showing classic, nostalgic movies at “welcome back” pricing of $5 for adults and $3 for children.
Regal Cinemas, the Tennessee-based theater chain with 549 U.S. theaters including Regal Massillon, expects to reopen all of its theaters in July, Regal owner Cineworld has announced, with measures taken for a “safe and enjoyable” experience.
After a long drought of new Hollywood movies, July will see the release of three highly anticipated summer films: “Unhinged” with Russell Crowe on July 1, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” on July 17, and Disney’s live-action remake of “Mulan” on July 24.
Just how eager are movie-goers to return to theaters? A recent survey by analytics firm EDO found that 75% of respondents would be willing to attend movies if theaters implement safety measures, including hand-sanitizer stations, limited screenings to allow for extended auditorium cleaning between shows and a requirement employees wear masks.
For Andrew Rudd, Malone University professor and past director of the Canton Film Festival, moviegoing is “one of the first things I started missing during quarantine. For me, movies are the way I like to go spend time around strangers and have feelings in public.”
But is he ready to go back?
“At this point, I’m probably ready to go to the movies, especially if the CDC is saying COVID-19 is not staying alive on surfaces. That makes it feel less threatening,” Rudd said. “But I’d have to really want to see a particular movie in a theater. Some movies are so cinematic they need to be seen on a big screen with great sound.”
At the drive-in
Ohio’s drive-in theaters were given the go-ahead to reopen over a month ago. The family-owned Lynn Drive-In, near Strasburg in Tuscarawas County, reported doing solid attendance the past four weekends.
Because cars are spaced apart for social distancing, “Fridays and Saturdays have looked full even though we’re only at about 65% (capacity),” Lynn owner Rich Reding said.
Hollywood hasn’t released new movies in months due to COVID-19, but recent titles such as “The Invisible Man,” “Bad Boys For Life” and “Jumanji: The Next Level” have drawn well at the Lynn, along with “Trolls World Tour,” which Universal released simultaneously to drive-ins and pay-per-view.
Vintage favorites such as “Animal House” and “Smokey and the Bandit” have done similarly good business.
“On the digitally remastered print of 'Smokey and the Bandit,’ Burt Reynolds’ red shirt just pops on the screen,” Reding said.
At the Lynn this weekend is an ’80s double feature of “Gremlins” and “Goonies” with “Jaws”/“Jurassic Park“ opening June 19.
