Following last weekend’s news that theaters in New York—with the exception of the key market of New York City—will be allowed to open starting October 23, Regal has announced that they will re-open 11 locations in the state.
The New York cinemas to reopen this Friday are:
- Regal Colonie Center (Albany, NY)
- Regal Crossgates (Albany, NY)
- Regal Walden Galleria (Buffalo, NY)
- Regal Quaker Crossing (Orchard Park, NY)
- Regal Deer Park (Deer Park, NY)
- Regal Lynbrook (Lynbrook, NY)
- Regal New Roc (New Rochelle, NY)
- Regal Galleria Mall (Poughkeepsie, NY)
- Regal Destiny USA (Syracuse, NY)
- Regal Eastview Mall (Victor, NY)
- Regal Westbury (Westbury, NY)
“We are grateful to finally have initial guidelines from the state,” said Mooky Greidinger, CEO of Regal parent company Cineworld, in a statement. “With the implementation of robust health and safety measures as a part of our commitment to the CinemaSafe protocols, our New York theaters and staff are thoroughly prepared for a safe and sustainable reopening. After seven months, we are thrilled to welcome back our beloved staff and customers. We are sure that the next step will be opening of cinemas in New York City, which is still critical for the recovery of the industry.”
Seven Regal locations are currently open the state of California. They are:
- Regal Carlsbad (Carlsbad, CA)
- Regal Delta Shores & IMAX (Sacramento, CA)
- Regal Irvine Spectrum ScreenX, 4DX, IMAX, RPX & VIP (Irvine, CA)
- Regal Edwards Temecula & IMAX (Temecula, CA)
- Regal La Habra (La Habra, CA)
- Regal Manchester – Fresno (Fresno, CA)
- Regal Riverside Plaza (Riverside, CA)
The remainder of Regal’s cinemas in the United States—in addition to U.K. theaters operating under the umbrella of Regal’s parent company, Cineworld—will remain closed. The closure, explained Greidinger in an exclusive statement to Boxoffice Pro, is the result of a lack of major studio releases over the coming months. “Prolonged closures” of cinemas, particularly in the New York market, noted Greidinger, “had a detrimental impact on the release slate for the rest of the year, and, in turn, our ability to supply our customers with the lineup of blockbusters they’ve come to expect from us. As such, it is simply impossible to continue operations in our primary markets.”
Per government guidelines, cinemas in New York state can open if they’re located in a county that has had a Covid-19 positive testing rate of under 2 percent over a two week period. Theaters are limited to to 25 percent capacity, up to 50 people per auditorium. Face covering enforcement is required at all times, except when eating or drinking. Assigned seating and social distancing is required; additional staff is expected to be on-hand to enforce these measures. Theaters will also have to meet enhanced air filtration and ventilation standards. There has been no indication of when cinemas in New York City will be allowed to reopen.
AMC, the largest exhibitor in North America, announced on Monday that they will be opening 12 New York state locations by Friday, October 23.
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