Cinemark plans to start reopening movie theaters on July 24

Cinemark will start reopening movie theaters on July 24 after mass shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company said Tuesday. 

The theaters will reopen starting with showings of “Hollywood’s favorite classic films” starting July 24, and will later start showing new movies as they’re released.

Several movies have also delayed their releases amid the pandemic including Disney’s live action version of “Mulan” and “No Time to Die,” a new James Bond film starring actor Daniel Craig.  

“Our multi-phased reopening plan was thoughtfully designed with multiple contingencies in place that enable us to efficiently adapt to today’s ever-changing environment,” Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said in a statement.

“We continue to pay close attention to status of the virus, local mandates and availability of new content while prioritizing the health and safety of our guests, employees and communities,” he added.

The Plano, Texas-based company said it will start showing new releases including “Unhinged” on July 31, “The Broken Hearts Gallery” on Aug. 7, “Tenet” on Aug. 12, “Mulan” on Aug. 21, “Bill & Ted Face the Music” on Aug. 28 and “A Quiet Place Part II” on Sept. 4. 

Cinemark said theaters will reopen with “greatly enhanced cleanliness, sanitizing and safety measures” in place. Theaters will also have a designated “Chief Clean and Safety Monitor” on duty to ensure safety and physical distancing standards. 

AMC, the world’s largest movie theater chain, has pushed back its reopening plan by two weeks with a target of opening July 30 rather than its initial plan to reopen in mid-July. 

Theater openings are largely at the discretion of state and local leaders. Los Angeles and New York City, the industry’s two biggest markets, have yet to allow theaters to reopen. 

Other states have halted or started rolling back reopenings amid spikes in coronavirus cases.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered for movie theaters to shut for at least 30 days on Monday as part of a monthlong pause the Republican governor put in place for several industries as cases spike.