Face masks and smaller audiences: North Carolina movie theaters prepare to reopen

Jun. 21--The nation's biggest movie theater chains are preparing to reopen next month, but welcoming audiences to indoor entertainment in North Carolina depends on state officials deciding when venues can operate safely in the coronavirus pandemic.

Theater chains that have announced reopening plans say they will require customers to wear masks.

North Carolina's current phase of loosened pandemic restrictions could end June 26, and Gov. Roy Cooper said he would announce the next steps early this week. Cooper's initial plan for easing restrictions would have allowed theaters to open in May as part of Phase Two of the reopening plan. He opted instead for a more modest plan as some coronavirus trends caused concerns for health officials. Since May, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state and growth in new cases have consistently set records.

In Phase Two, indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people, and outdoor gatherings are allowed for 25 people.

Regal Cinemas, which has a half-dozen theaters in the Triangle, including in Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Apex and Chapel Hill, announced on its website it would start opening theaters on July 10.

The chain, which closed its theaters on March 17 as coronavirus infections spread, said it will implement additional safety and sanitation measures. That includes requiring employees to wash their hands every 30 or 60 minutes, social distancing and reduced audience capacity in theaters. Dine-in services, popcorn and soft drink refills won't be available.

AMC theaters will begin opening July 15, the company announced on its website, in time for the release of the spy movie "Tenet," and the Disney movie "Mulan." The company announced it would begin by limiting theaters to 30% capacity and increase capacity in phases to allow full theaters around Thanksgiving.

AMC has theaters in Durham, Raleigh and Morrisville. The company said movie-goers can expect extra cleaning by theater staff, and disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizers available for guests' use.

Triangle theaters prepare

Locally owned theaters are also preparing to reopen.

Bill Peebles, owner of Ambassador Entertainment, which operates The Rialto Theater at Raleigh's Five Points and Six Points Cinema, said the Rialto will be ready to open as soon as Cooper gives the word.

New safety procedures will require staff and customers to wear masks, he said. Staff will wear gloves. Every other theater row will remain empty.

"We're being as serious as we can be about keeping people safe," Peebles said. Six Points Cinema may be able to open at the same time, he said.

Timing for opening Durham'sCarolina Theatre depends on when state and local governments determine it's safe, said President and CEO Rebecca Newton.

If governments allow, the Carolina Theater has plans to open the 1,000-seat Fletcher Theater with reduced capacity on July 30, Newton said.

The theater also plans to host the OutSouth Queer Film Festival on Sept. 10 and 11, which Newton described as "a mini version" of the North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival. The Carolina Theatre may open one of the building's other theaters for the festival, in addition to the Fletcher, Newton said. But opening more spaces to audiences adds to cleaning and staff costs.

The Carolina Theatre is part of the NC Live coalition, a group of entertainment venues looking at how they can safely restart shows.

"We're putting together recommendations as a coalition as to how we'll reopen," she said.

A 'crucial' decision

Movie theaters have been allowed to open in at least 28 states, according to The New York Times, though many screens in those states remain dark.

Phil Contrino, director of media and research for the National Association of Theater Owners, said North Carolina should have followed Cooper's original plan and allowed theaters to open in May. Churches and restaurants were allowed to open, Contrino said, while theaters were not.

Churches were allowed to open in May only after a federal judge blocked restrictions, The News & Observer reported. Restaurants were allowed to open their dining rooms May 22 with 50% capacity.

Cooper's upcoming decision will be "incredibly crucial," Contrino said.

"Members are taking a lot of steps to be safe, whether it's social distancing or reserved seating to upping their cleanliness," he said. "We're just taking the position that we're being treated incredibly unfairly."

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