AMC Theatres Will Remain Open Amid Cineworld, Regal Shutdown

AMC theatres are going to remain open amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, President and CEO Adam Aron said on Tuesday. Cineworld’s Regal Cinemas are being temporarily closed.

Currently, more than 80% of AMC’s theatres in the U.S. are open. An even higher percentage of its theatres are open in other parts of the world. When allowed, AMC plans to open theatres in New York and California.

We’ll let Aron share his reasoning — and the movies he’s most excited for — below. Aron also touted his company’s cleaning protocols and partnerships.

Also Read: Regal Cinemas Parent Cineworld's Stock Plunges 35% After 'Temporary' Closure of Theaters

“Some of our best partners like Disney, with its much anticipated ‘Soul,’ and Universal with ‘The Croods: A New Age,’ have new movies scheduled for theatrical release over the next month and a half,” Aron said in a statement on Tuesday. “Warner Bros.’ ‘Tenet’ has been stimulating moviegoers and is still leading the box office. And this weekend, ‘The War With Grandpa,’ a new movie title starring the legendary Robert De Niro will be prominent all across the U.S. on the big screens of AMC.”

“Fortunately for AMC, our groundbreaking agreement with Universal Studios announced earlier this summer puts AMC in a position where we can open our theatres when others may feel the need to close,” he continued. “We are fully comfortable showing Universal films in our theaters, even as they implement premium video on demand as we have mutually agreed. This is because AMC will share in premium revenues coming from their early availability in the home.”

Aron concluded: “We take great comfort in knowing that literally millions of moviegoers have already visited our theatres. They have done so in part because of our AMC Safe & Clean protocols, developed in consultation with Clorox and faculty of the Harvard University School of Public Health. Our guests are telling us that our theatres have never been cleaner, and that they recognize the great effort AMC is making to keep them healthy and safe.”

Also Read: Regal Cinemas and Cineworld Movie Theaters to Close All US, UK Locations This Week

AMC Entertainment is the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States. Cineworld is No. 2.

Earlier this week, Cineworld, which owns Regal Cinemas, announced it would temporarily close of more than 600 theatres in the U.S. and the U.K. combined. That news sunk its stock.

The Cineworld announcement also dropped AMC’s share price by 11%. Aron’s announcement should help reverse at least some of that company-specific pessimism on Wall Street.

15 Movies You Only Want to Watch Once, From 'A Clockwork Orange' to 'The Revenant' (Photos)

There are a handful of movies that have been both venerated by film buffs, but also contain scenes that are so tragic, disturbing or brutal that audiences aren't jumping at the chance at a repeat viewing.
Fox Searchlight
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971)

Stanley Kubrick's dystopian look at youth violence initially nabbed an X rating in the U.S. -- and was withdrawn from U.K. release in 1973 after some copycat crimes. And the aversion-therapy scenes remain unforgettable and difficult to watch, even the first time.
Warner Bros.
"Pink Flamingos" (1972)
John Waters' cult classic pre-dates gross-out humor popularized in the 1990s by two decades. Pictured here, Divine, who played a version of herself in the fictional comedy, is seen eating a pig's face. But in the film's most famous scene, she eats dog feces.
New Line Cinema
"Deliverance" (1972)
Featuring a much younger Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight and Ned Beatty, this dramatic thriller revolves around a river-rafting trip that turns violent and dangerous in the backwoods of Georgia. And yes, there's a creepy dueling-banjos rape scene.
Warner Bros.
"Schindler's List" (1993)
If you aren't deeply moved upon viewing Steven Spielberg's seven-time Oscar-winning Holocaust film, there's something wrong with you.

Also Read: Why Black Audiences Are Conflicted Over Nate Parker’s ‘Birth of a Nation’
Universal
"American History X" (1998)
Edward Norton is pure evil as a Los Angeles-based Neo-Nazi with violent tendencies. One particularly gruesome scene involves someone's head being bashed into a curb -- a sequence in celluloid history that once witnessed, can never be forgotten.
New Line Cinema
"Audition" (1999)

Takashi Miike's thriller focuses on a widower who falls for a sadistic killer -- who tortures her lover in an excruciating scene involving elongated needles and a wire saw. It's the sort of scene that can't be unseen.
"Requiem For a Dream" (2000)
Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly definitely don't make heroin addiction seem glamorous in this Darren Aronofsky drama.
Artisan Entertainment
"City of God" (2002)
This brutal-but-acclaimed Brazilian film, about the lives of two boys in Rio de Janeiro who take two very different paths, depicts kids killing kids in street gang warfare. It's not easy on the eyes.

Also Read: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Review: Nate Parker’s Slave Uprising Drama Has Passion to Spare
Miramax
"Hotel Rwanda" (2004)
Starring Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, the horrors of genocide are depicted in this drama. Let's just say, no one's keeping their eyes peeled for a sequel.

Also Read: Sexual Assault Victims to Protest Nate Parker’s ‘Birth of a Nation’ Opening Night
United Artists
"Precious" (2009)
The Oscar-winning drama about an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who becomes pregnant with her second child, starred Gabourey Sidibe in her breakout role. While it received critical raves and awards, it reflects a side of society that's likely excruciating to witness for many.

Also Read: ‘Birth of a Nation’ Scandal: Timeline of Nate Parker’s Case
Lionsgate
"127 Hours" (2010)
Do you want to watch James Franco cut his arm off again? We didn't think so.
Fox Searchlight
"In the Land of Blood and Honey" (2011)
Angelina Jolie's feature film directorial debut depicts the brutalities of the 1990s-era Bosnian War. One scene involving an infant is so gut-wrenching, moviegoing audiences were reported to have either left the theater or covered their eyes.
GK Films
"12 Years a Slave" (2013)
Lupita Nyong'o won an Oscar for her role in this widely-lauded slavery drama. Depicting a woman who receives life-threatening lashes and is repeatedly raped, it's her scenes that are easily the most difficult on viewers.

Also Read: ‘Birth of a Nation’ Is a ‘Powerfully Affecting Film’ That ‘Deserves to Be Seen,’ Critics Praise
Fox Searchlight
"The Revenant" (2015)
While beautifully shot, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Oscar-winning drama features Leonardo DiCaprio on a protracted journey of survival through the unforgiving wilderness. Two words: Bear attack.
20th Century Fox
"Goat" (2016)
Of all the frat house films in cinema history, this one isn't funny. "Goat" depicts savagery that college freshman pledges endure. One scene involving duct tape placed over the face of a pledge may leave audiences gasping for breath.
Paramount

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Some truly great films are too tough to see twice

There are a handful of movies that have been both venerated by film buffs, but also contain scenes that are so tragic, disturbing or brutal that audiences aren't jumping at the chance at a repeat viewing.

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15 Movies You Only Want to Watch Once, From 'A Clockwork Orange' to 'The Revenant' (Photos)

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