It’s the same cycle that has played out over and over again this summer. COVID-19 numbers don’t go down. Warner Bros. delays the release of “Tenet.” AMC Theatres delays the reopening of its cinemas. Rinse. Repeat. And since WB delayed “Tenet” earlier this week, it was only a matter of time before AMC did its part.
According to the theater chain, AMC has decided to delay its reopening from July 31 to sometime in “mid to late August.” An official date isn’t known at this time, but the chain expects to open several weeks before studios begin to release major films like “Tenet” and “Mulan,” and during that time, AMC will show older features to encourage folks to come back to the big screen.
In a statement (via Variety), AMC said the “new timing reflects currently expected release dates for much anticipated blockbusters like Warner Bros.’ ‘Tenet’ and Disney’s ‘Mulan,’ as well as release dates for several other new movies.”
Of course, this is all tentative. As mentioned at the very beginning, this isn’t our first rodeo reporting about cinema chains delaying a reopening. Originally, the plan was to open sometime in June to prepare for the July 17 release of “Tenet.” Then when Nolan’s film moved two weeks, AMC and the rest moved two weeks also. And now, since there’s really no date for when “Tenet” will open and September is beginning to look like an impossibility, AMC isn’t quite sure when the cinemas will open their doors once again.
Honestly, at this point, until the doors actually do open, you should be wary of any potential dates that are released. It’s a situation where the theater chains need a commitment from studios that big films like “Tenet,” “Mulan,” “A Quiet Place Part 2,” and others will actually arrive when they say they will, but the studios actually need to know that it’s going to be financially feasible for them to release these films in the first place because social distancing restrictions are still in place.
So, will AMC just stick to its August plan and reopen without a commitment from the studios that new films are on the way? Or will we play this delay game all throughout the fall? At this point, no one knows.