AMC plans to reopen some theaters on Aug. 20. Tickets will cost 15 cents

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Like the rest of the entertainment industry, AMC has been losing profits since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo credit: Dave Dugdale (CC BY-SA 2.0).

AMC has announced that it’ll reopen 100 of its theaters nationwide on August 20. The theater chain says it will charge 15 cents per movie on that day to recognize 100 years since the first AMC theater opened in Kansas City, Missouri. The chain will show catalog films like “Black Panther,” “Ghostbusters,” “Back to the Future,” and “The Empire Strikes Back.”

It hopes to open two-thirds of all its theaters nationwide by September 3. That means 400 theaters in total by this date. The company has been losing profits since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. This news comes ahead of two highly anticipated releases: Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” on August 28 and Disney’s “The New Mutants” on September 3. 

AMC’s reopening comes with increased safety protocols, including social distancing in the theaters and more time for cleanings between each showing. The company announced that guests will have to wear masks, though it’s unclear whether they will make exceptions for guests to eat popcorn. The last time the chain announced its plans to reopen, it was criticized for not enforcing a mask-wearing requirement.

In California, movie theaters have been closed since March, and there are no signs that state officials will allow them to do business soon. AMC said that they will reopen the remainder of its theaters only when state and local officials authorize it. 

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