Regal Cinemas will reopen in time for summer blockbusters. Here’s what to know

Regal Cinemas will reopen some of its movie theaters in April following a six-month shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Tuesday

“Regal is thrilled to welcome our guests back to the movies in April,” Regal wrote on Twitter. “Select theatres will be opening April 2, in time for ‘Godzilla vs. Kong.’ Additional theatres will be opening in the weeks to follow.”

The company did not announce which theaters will reopen, but CNBC reported it will be more than 500.

Guests will be required to wear masks, and auditorium capacities will be reduced to 50% in areas with a state or county mandate, Regal said on its website. Fresh air intake will be increased by 50% to 100% to help air circulate throughout auditoriums.

Following social distancing guidelines, Regal will leave two seats between groups at theaters where there is non-reserved seating.

Regal has also made major changes to its concession stands, including eliminating every other register and reducing menu offerings. To make it easier on customers, concession items can now be purchased from the Regal mobile app.

Regal theaters will open more widely on April 16, in time for “Mortal Kombat,” according to Deadline.

“(This is) a great moment for us — the U.S. market represents 75% of our business — and soon will be followed with all our markets,” Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger told Deadline. “We are great believers in the theatrical experience, which only a year ago (2019) generated $43B worldwide.”

Cineworld, the parent company of Regal, announced in October it would be temporarily closing all of its locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Greidinger said it did everything in its power to support the theaters staying open before it pulled the plug.

The October closures impacted about 40,000 employees in the United States. Employees will undergo daily health screenings when the theaters reopen, and they will be required to wash their hands every 30 minutes to 60 minutes.

As of last weekend, 51% of movie theaters in North America had reopened, CNBC reported. AMC has already reopened some of its theaters, as has Cinemark. AMC, Regal and Cinemark are the largest movie theater chains in the U.S.

This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Regal Cinemas will reopen in time for summer blockbusters. Here’s what to know."