Regal Cinemas, the nation’s second largest cinema chain, has announced that it will begin to reopen its U.S. locations on Aug. 21.
Regal’s U.K. parent Cineworld made the announcement on Monday afternoon following Warner Bros. disclosure that it will open Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller “Tenet” in international markets on Aug. 26 with a Sept. 3 launch in the U.S.
“Welcoming theatergoers back to our cinemas will be a celebration for not only our team and our industry, but most importantly for the fans who have been anxiously awaiting the year’s upcoming releases,” said Mooky Greidinger, CEO of Cineworld. “With the health and safety of our staff, customers and communities as our top priority, we are happy to invite audiences to return to the timeless theatrical experience that we have all dearly missed.”
Along with AMC and Cinemark, Regal closed down U.S. sites in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic — which profoundly altered the spring and summer slate. “Wonder Woman 1984” was moved to October and James Bond title “No Time to Die” has been slotted for November while many major titles have been taken off the schedule, gone out on streaming services or dated for 2021.
Titles currently set to open domestically on Aug. 21 are “Unhinged” from Solstice Studios and “Antebellum” from Lionsgate.
Theaters in Los Angeles, New York and many other locations have not yet been given an approved reopening date by their health departments. It’s too early to say how many locations could be approved by Aug. 21.
Regal operates 549 locations in 42 states. It also said Monday it will enforce previously announced health and safety measures that adhere to the latest public health guidelines, including innovative sanitization procedures, new social distancing protocols, and mandatory mask policies for Regal employees and guests. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.