North Texas movie theater chains are not planning to open on Friday, despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan that allows them to do so.
Plano-based Cinemark Theaters said in an investor call on April 15 that it is not planning on opening its theaters back up until early July and will not really "ramp up" until mid-July.
Cinemark told the entertainment website Deadline that the company is still following that timeline.
"The company is currently working toward a mid-summer opening date, contingent upon health and safety regulations, as well as availability of studio content," a spokesperson said. "It is important to note that the theatrical exhibition’s return to ‘normalcy’ may span multiple months."
Leawood, Kansas-based AMC Theaters, the largest movie theater chain in the country, also said it was not yet opening theaters and it hasn’t specified a targeted date to reopen.
The flow of theatrically released movies is also dictating the timeline, as the first big releases aren’t scheduled until the middle of July.
Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill said on Twitter that it also won’t be opening on Friday: "We're eager to safely reopen our theaters. … While it won't be May 1, we hope to see you soon."
Dallas-based Cinépolis USA released a statement on Tuesday saying its theaters, including two in DFW, won't open on Friday as well. The statement said the timing of when it will open will be released later.
The Austin Business Journal report that Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which has six location in DFW, wrote on its Facebook page that it would not reopen on Friday as well as it works on new safety procedures and training.
Round Rock-based Flix Brewhouse, which has one theater in DFW, also posted on social media that it wouldn't reopen this weekend to give its staff more time to train and implement new safety and sanitizing practices.
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