AMC reopening 98% of its US theaters by Friday

LEAWOOD, Kan. — Moviegoers can rejoice -- AMC Theatres announced that 98% of its theaters will open their doors by Friday.

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The nation’s largest theater chain also announced in a news release that 99% of its locations will be open by March 26, and 52 of its 54 locations in California will open its doors by Monday.

“It was exactly one year ago that we closed all AMC locations in the United States,” Adam Aron, AMC’s CEO and president, said in a statement on Wednesday. “It gives me immense joy to say that by the end of next week we expect that 99% of our U.S. locations will have reopened. As we have done at all of locations around the country, AMC is reopening and operating with the highest devotion to the health and safety of our guests and associates through our AMC Safe & Clean policies and protocols, which were developed in consultation with Clorox and with current and former faculty at the prestigious Harvard University School of Public Health.

“AMC Safe & Clean includes social distancing & automatic seat blocking in each auditorium, mandatory mask-wearing, and upgraded air filtration with MERV-13 air filters, as well as many other important health, sanitization and cleanliness efforts.”

This week’s reopening will include all 25 of AMC’s Los Angeles County theaters and all eight of its San Diego County locations, the company said.

AMC, which has more than 630 theaters in the United States, was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic and nearly came close to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. rose more than 3% to $14.03 in afternoon trading on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

Cox Media Group