Movie Cinemas In NYC, San Francisco Set To Reopen

Select cinemas in San Francisco and New York City, two of the nation’s largest box-office markets, are set to open during the weekend. However, the two cities are mandating that cinemas limit attendance to 25 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Adrenaline is definitely pumping and [people are] definitely excited about reopening,” said Scott Rosemann, who supervises a film center in SoHo in addition to two other theatres. “With the fact that we should have all adults in the U.S. vaccinated by the end of May, it gives me great hope that we will have a summer blockbuster season.”

In other parts of the country, like Ohio, Texas and Florida, cinemas have been open for months. However, box-office results have been weak, according to the report, which noted that a few of the biggest movie theatre markets in the country have comprised a big portion of box-office sales when new films debut.

Amid COVID-19, Hollywood studios have concentrated on their streaming offerings, postponed rolling out their most-valued efforts or sold films to rivals to show online. For that reason, the biggest cinema chains in the country had fewer opportunities to bring in sales, according to the report. A number of cinema owners foresee that Hollywood studios will start rolling out high-profile movies again when cinemagoers show they are comfortable going back to the multiplexes and the rest of the Golden State opens again.

A well-run and well-attended digital film festival might just be the movie industry’s saving grace – in addition to a demarcation that the transition from the big screen to the little streaming screen will likely never completely reverse. “The Festival is expanding to screens everywhere. And we’re off to a roaring start! Due to high demand, our Festival, Day and Awards passes, and single film tickets for some features, are also currently sold out,” according to the Sundance Institute’s website. To further the digital vibe, Sundance has incorporated satellite screening locations (with limited seating) at arthouse cinemas in 28 cities throughout the nation, from Boston to Miami to Honolulu.