AMC Theatres, the nation's largest movie theater chain which has been shut down for the past five months, will start reopening some of its theaters next week and reopen most of its movie screens in the Chattanooga region starting Aug. 27.
AMC Entertainment, which owns the chain, said Thursday that it expects to open the doors to more than 100 cinemas - or about a sixth of its nationwide locations - on Aug. 20 with throwback pricing of 15 cents-per-movie for a day to mark the company's 100th anniversary.
AMC will begin reopening its theaters in the Chattanooga area on Aug. 27. But one of its eight local theaters - the 10-screen theater on Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd - will permanently close after 25 years of operation, according to AMC's web site.
AMC theaters have reopened in numerous international countries but have remained shuttered in the U.S. since March. The chain touted the limited reopening in selected theaters next week as "Movies in 2020 at 1920 Prices."
After several false starts due to a summer rise in coronavirus cases throughout much of the U.S., widespread movie going is currently set to resume in late August.
Regal Cinemas, the second largest chain, is to reopen some U.S. locations on Aug. 21, including the 8-screen Regal Hamilton Place. Tickets are available to purchase for Regal theater shows starting Friday, August 14.
During its opening-day promotion in the selected theaters where the company is celebrating its centennial anniversary, AMC will show catalog films, including "Ghostbusters," "Black Panther," "Back to the Future" and "Grease." Those older films will continue to play afterward for $5.
AMC confirmed that Disney's much-delayed "New Mutants" will debut in theaters Aug. 28, with Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" to follow Sept. 3. Warner Bros. is planning to release "Tenet" a week earlier internationally, including in Canada. A handful of smaller new releases are also planned for late August, including "Unhinged," a thriller from Solstice Studios with Russell Crowe; and Armando Iannucci's "Personal History of David Copperfield," from Disney's Fox Searchlight.
AMC said Thursday is expects about two thirds of its theaters will be open in time for "Tenet."
Several states, including California and New York, are yet to allow movie theaters to reopen. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee announced in May that he would allow movie theaters to begin reopening but no local movie theaters have reopened so far.
AMC and other chains have said they will operate at reduced capacity to facilitate social distancing, along with increased theater cleaning and required mask wearing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
AMC reopens in Chattanooga area
AMC Theaters operated eight theaters in the Chattanooga region before the coronavirus pandemic forced movie theaters to shut down in March. Five AMC theaters will reopen on Aug. 27, two will reopen for the Labor Day weekend on Sept. 3, and one is being permanently shut down. Aug. 27 * AMC Chattanooga 18 on South Terrace Road in East Ridge * AMC Majestic 12 in downtown Chattanooga * AMC Northgate 14 in Hixson * AMC Walnut Square in Dalton, Georgia * AMC Cartersville 12 in Cartersville, Georgia Sept. 3 * AMC Classic Battlefield 10 in Fort Oglethorpe * Bradley Square 12 in Cleveland, Tennessee Permanently closed * AMC Chattanooga 10 at 2210 Gunbarrel Road, which was built in 1995, has permanently shut down Source: AMC Theatres