By With new CDC guidelines putting heavy restrictions on the amount of people allowed in a public space, a lot of movie theaters across the nation are starting to close down to curb the spread of the coronavirus. In reports from The Hollywood Reporter, theaters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey were the first to do so with NYC and LA following suit. It’s a really bad time to be releasing any new films, that’s for sure.
The majority of these theaters seem to be AMC establishments, though New York’s governor recently mandated that all theaters in the state close by this evening. This recent development is following the trend seen in other countries. China, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and Ireland have all shuttered their theaters weeks prior and it’s now our turn.
While this will inevitably cause Hollywood to lose a ton of profit, safety is the number one priority. Without people around to make or see films, there wouldn’t be any money anyway. It’s better to weather this storm now than to put more people at risk just to release a film.
Box Office: Moviegoing Plummets Worldwide, U.S. Movie Theaters Begin Closing [The Hollywood Reporter]
