AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas, the two largest theater chains in the United States, have closed all its locations in compliance with state, federal and local directives to combat the spread of coronavirus. To date, cinemas are entirely or partially dark in more than 50 international markets, including China, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and Ireland.
AMC, which is the largest American theater chain with more than 1,000 locations in the country, said in a statement released late on Monday that it expects that the nationwide closure will last 6-12 weeks. The company will continue to operate its recently launched on-demand site, which has 3,500 films from every major film studio.
On the other hand, Regal Cinemas was the first major chain to take action, announcing that it would indefinitely close all 543 of its locations nationwide to counter the spread of the Covid-19, with Showcase Cinemas and Alamo Drafthouse doing the same hours later.
The closures come shortly after a White House press conference in which health officials recommended that the public avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, a drop from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s earlier recommendation of avoiding gatherings of more than 50 people.
Overall weekend revenue in North America hit at least a 20-year low ($55.3 million), according to Comscore. Moreover, according to most estimates, Hollywood has already lost $7 billion, and it could lose another $10 billion over the next few months if theaters stay closed.