Regal Cinemas Reopening In California, New Jersey & Maryland In Time For Tenet

One of the largest powerhouses of US cinema, Regal Cinemas, has chosen to reopen their doors in California, New Jersey, and Maryland, for audiences to see Christopher Nolan’s new film, Tenet, on the silver screen. In this landscape of coronavirus and lock-downs, the easing of some of the restrictive measures means that art and cinema can finally start to blossom again.

Regal Cinemas owns upwards of 7000 screens, and this re-opening could be seen as a ‘dipping the toe’ to see how well re-opening does across a few states. Although coronavirus still looks to be a long way from disappearing from the world, businesses and companies are learning how to adapt and survive in this new climate. Regal Cinema’s policies towards coronavirus can be seen on their website, where they have teamed up with Dr. David Goldsmith to ensure every one is as safe as possible, just in time for Tenet‘s release.

Deadline reports that Regal Cinemas will open in California, New Jersey, and Maryland starting Wednesday, September 2. This puts it in line with Tenet’s limited theatrical release, thus giving it the opening day it deserves. Amongst the safety measures in place, Regal Cinemas will require guests to wear a mask. This has been an element of some controversy and indecision amongst theatre-houses, with AMC quickly backpedaling after they said they would not enforce masks for customers, only to receive public backlash from concerned audiences. It has even been stated amongst some medical professionals that perhaps it’s still too early to be returning to cinemas at all. Concerns are still rampant throughout the cinema industry. Regal Cinema’s decision to open up again within a select few states has caused some concern and uncertainty.

However, this timing of re-opening is exceptionally fortunate for Tenet. The fact that Regal Cinemas have openly aimed to re-open cinemas in time for its release has only served to exacerbate the hype. Tenet is a film with a high-concept science-fiction and espionage theme, co-produced with Emma Thomas. It has been likened to Inception. The film’s premise has been in Christopher Nolan’s mind for over two decades, and it took him nearly five years to write the screenplay. As the brainchild of a well-established and celebrated director, it is no wonder then that curiosity amongst fans for this new film has been sky-high.

Coronavirus has, unfortunately, hit the film industry – and the arts communities in general – incredibly hard. The restrictions have been fierce, the opportunities lessened, and many works scrapped, under-performing, or disappearing altogether. It has taken from the world its big annual summer blockbuster season. As such, promised delights like Black Widow, Fast and Furious 9, and Mulan has been directed affected and heavily postponed. This partial reopening of some Regal Cinema’s could be seen as somewhat of an experiment, and its results could potentially shine a light on what comes next for cinemas and coronavirus. It’s also a boon for Tenet.

Source: Deadline