LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, the world’s largest cinema company, is set to reopen in Los Angeles on Monday with two theaters, the company said in a statement on Friday.
Cinemas in Los Angeles County, home of Hollywood and the largest movie market in the United States, have been closed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Local authorities have approved them to resume operations from Monday if they limit attendance to 25%.
AMC has said it will reopen to theaters in Burbank and Century City. The company plans to launch the rest of its theaters in the Los Angeles area and elsewhere in California starting March 19th.
Los Angeles is the largest market for AMC according to the number of theaters. The company has 56 theaters in California, 25 of which are in Los Angeles County.
Movie theater chains and independent cinemas have been devastated by the prolonged closure, hoping the public will return in the spring and summer as coronavirus vaccines become more widespread.
Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Edited by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis