FILE - People exit an AMC theater Saturday, March 14, 2020, in Los Angeles. Californians wanting to escape the new reality of the coronavirus at the movies, casino or amusement park are running into the six-foot rule.
AMC Entertainment Holdings announced Thursday it is set to reopen many of its movie theaters starting August 20. Its first phase of reopening will include more than 100 of its locations.
AMC is the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., and to mark the reopening, it will be selling tickets for 15 cents on opening day, marketing the sale as “movies in 2020 at 1920 prices.”
AMC says it intends to continue opening more locations throughout the month, with plans to have two-thirds open by the September 3 release of the new Christopher Nolan film “Tenet.”
The company will ensure a variety of new safety precautions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. All guests will be required to wear masks, theater capacity will be decreased, and ventilation systems will be updated.
Tickets will be available at reduced prices even after opening day, including films such as “Inception,” “Black Panther,” “Back to the Future,” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” all of which will be $5. AMC plans to show several older films because the release of most new movies was delayed due to the coronavirus.
"We are thrilled to once again open our doors to American moviegoers who are looking for an opportunity to get out of their houses and apartments and escape into the magic of the movies," Adam Aron, AMC's CEO, said Thursday in a statement.
AMC shuttered all of its theaters in the U.S. in March during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans to reopen have been delayed several times.