Movie Theaters Struggle to Attract Audiences as Lockdown Restrictions Ease

As lockdown restrictions start to ease up around the country, a handful of states have allowed movie theaters to reopen. However, in most of those states, most cinemas have remained closed. According to Variety, about 3% of indoor theaters were open last week, and those were at limited capacity.

Georgia was the first state to reopen, but only a handful of theaters have opened their door. Melanie Parker reopened Sweet Onion Cinemas in Vidalia, Ga., shortly after the governor lifted the stay-at-home order, and after a few weeks of being open, attendance numbers at the theater are low. The first weekend 34 attended. and the next weekend it dropped to 14.

Malcolm Neal, who runs the Ritz Theatre in Thomaston, said "We didn't have hardly anybody the first weekend. In a small town, a lot of people wait to hear that somebody else did it before they'll do it. They want to know their neighbor went last weekend and it was fine."

Many theater owners feel they had no choice but to open as soon as their state allowed them to due to the shutdown crippling business. Robert Jones, who owns Center Cinemas in Oklahoma, says, "I'm just trying to survive. When we closed, no money was coming in, but the bills were still adding up. I couldn't continue to stay closed and have a future."

"This is when I do the most business, but instead I'm just trying to keep my head above water," Jones continued.

Although studios aren't releasing new movies, theater operators are testing the new safety procedures, like Plexiglas screens, social-distanced seating, and regular sanitization. To reassure the public, the theater staff also wear masks.

Rick Moser, head of operations for Coral Cliffs Cinema 8 in Hurricane, Utah, says, "We are going to lose money whether we're open or not, so we figure we might as well be open. Our owner's philosophy is that we want to give the community something to do."

Curt Small, who owns Elks Theatre, believes that it's important to keep running regardless of low attendance, in order to be ready for any summer blockbusters that may be released. "We need to make sure the gears stay greased," Small says. "These machines and projectors break down. They're not designed to sit idle."

Read the full story on Variety.