Cinemark, the nation’s third largest movie theater chain, has joined AMC and Regal in closing down operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Based in Plano, Texas, Cinemark has 345 North American locations. In addition to Cinemark, the circuit operates Century Theatres, Tinseltown, CinéArts and Rave circuits. It’s unclear when they will reopen.
“Through these absolutely unprecedented and evolving times, one thing will not change, and that is Cinemark’s dedication to its team members and moviegoers,” said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark CEO. “The decision to close our U.S. theatres was incredibly tough, but we know it is the right thing to do as global Coronavirus concerns continue to escalate. We will closely monitor recommendations of national and local governmental health organizations and look forward to inviting everyone to once again enjoy experiencing the movies with Cinemark.”
AMC and Regal each announced Monday that they would be pulling the plug after following a White House news conference telling Americans to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people. On March 15, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered movie theaters in their respective cities to close in response to the coronavirus pandemic. At least nine other states followed suit, and the rest are expected to close by the end of the week.
Last weekend, the exhibition industry remained in operation but ticket sales in North America hit their lowest levels in more than two decades.
Prior to theater closures, AMC, Regal, Cineplex, Arclight and Alamo Drafthouse chains imposed limits on sales as a safety precaution. In the face of movie theaters shuttering, Universal Pictures announced Monday that it will make its movies available on home entertainment on the same day as the films’ global theatrical releases. The initiative will kick off with DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls World Tour,” which is scheduled to debut on April 10 in the U.S.