Today the third-largest movie theater chain Cinemark announced its plan for the phased reopening of its movie theaters across the country. The first reopenings are scheduled for five Dallas theaters on June 19. The next phases will reopen across the country on July 3, with all of the theaters expected to be up and running by July 17.
At first, Cinemark plans to show crowd favorites like Wonder Woman, Goonies and Ghostbusters at a reduced price of $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors to help draw in customers who may not be used to getting out and about in crowds yet. Movies including Russell Crowe’s Unhinged and Sony’s The Broken Hearts Gallery will premiere on July 10 and 17 respectively in select theaters that will be open. Cinemark hopes to have all 345 locations up and running under new health safety guidelines in time for bigger movie releases like Disney’s live-action Mulan on July 24 and Warner Bros. Christopher Nolan film Tenet July 31.
“We know people want to come back to the movies,” Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi told Variety. “It’s just a matter of making sure people feel secure and safe. That’s why we’ve taken so much time and effort and invested millions of dollars. We know it’s the right thing to do.”
The theaters will abide by state and county laws in regards to facemasks. While patrons in states where masks aren’t required won’t be forced to wear one in the theater, all Cinemark employees will wear appropriate face masks and gloves while working. They will also be required to undergo new training and wellness checks before every shift.
The theaters will operate at reduced capacity and implement staggered seating, enhanced sanitization, reduced showtimes, and provide extra air filtration. Customers are encouraged to buy tickets ahead online to avoid unnecessary contact or money exchanging.
Here’s Cinemark’s complete plan for reopening:
- All public and high-touch spaces, such as concession stands, door handles, drink stations, self-ticketing kiosks, benches and restrooms will be thoroughly sanitized every 30 minutes using products identified by the EPA to be effective in eliminating COVID-19.
- Each auditorium will be disinfected every morning, and all handrails and occupied seats, along with those on either side, will be sanitized between show times.
- All theatres will reopen with reduced operating hours and staggered showtimes to maximize physical distancing.
- For additional assurance, there will be seat wipes and ample hand sanitizer available for customer use.
- Auditoriums will have limited capacities that meet or exceed local ordinances and the seats adjacent to parties will be automatically blocked upon ticket purchase.
- In accordance with CDC recommendations, guests are strongly encouraged to wear face masks.
- Where applicable, Cinemark will adhere to local policies that require residents to wear face masks in public.
- Cinemark will be employing new tactics to increase the fresh air intake to enhance the overall air quality of our theatres and using High Efficiency Particulate Absorbing (HEPA) filtration in all vacuums.
- Cinemark has streamlined its in-theatre ticket verification processes, no longer requiring digital ticket holders to carry a paper ticket, and moviegoers purchasing tickets at the theatre will no longer need to hand their printed ticket to the ushers.
- All are encouraged to purchase tickets online and use contactless payment methods for a more contact-free experience. Guests who are not feeling well are asked to stay home, and Cinemark will gladly provide a full ticket refund.
- To help reduce potential contact between cash and food-handling areas, cash payments will not be accepted at the concession stand. However, each theatre will have a designated area where cash will be accepted, and gift cards will be available.
- There will be plenty of in-theatre signage that will encourage moviegoers to practice proper physical distancing as well as showcase the new protocols involved in The Cinemark Standard.
- Moviegoers are asked to properly dispose of their trash to further protect our employees and allow for maximized cleaning between showtimes.
Did you know we have a YouTube Channel? Every week we have a live Cord Cutting Q&A, and weekly Cord Cutting recap shows exclusively on our YouTube Channel!
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news, tips, and reviews. Need cord cutting tech support? Join our Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.