by Conan Simmons – March 23, 2021 – 3:45 am
After a year long closure due to the global coronavirus pandemic Regal Cinemas are ready to reopen again.
Beginning April 2 in the U.S. Regal Cinemas across the country will open their doors to audiences eager to see Hollywood’s latest tentpole extravaganza. ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, which opens March 31, will hit screens and is expected to draw the largest audience since before the pandemic shut everything down.
Of course, there is a chance Regal will open their doors just a tad early as waiting two days after a films release date seems a little off.
Regal Cinemas parent company, Cineworld Cinemas which operates theaters in the U.K., will be reopening in May, according to current safety measures put in place by the government there.
The reopening also comes with a newly negotiated deal with Warner Bros.
The new deal will grant a 45 day of theatrical exclusivity prior to streaming beginning in 2022. The theatrical window for the U.K. has been negotiated at 31 days.
This comes after Warner Bros. shocked the industry late last year with the announcement that all of the studios releases for 2021 will be day-and-date releases to stream on HBO Max. ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ will be such a release.
Don’t be surprised to see Denis Villeneuve’s all-star remake of ‘Dune’ or Keanu Reeves sci-fi sequel ‘The Matrix 4’ shift release dates into next year to capitalize on the reopening.
Currently, theaters will reopen to approximately 50% capacity limit according to safety guidelines.
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee Regal Cinemas is the second largest theater chain in the U.S. with 549 theaters and 7200 screens. When the pandemic hit last year the theater chain was forced to lay off around 40,000 employees.