Movie theaters are open and operating at up to 75% capacity.
Why not 100 per cent?
Because they've been careful every step of the way. They've planned things well and with caution. Staging increased opening in careful steps.
1. Movie theaters were allowed to re-open in China starting June 20 with a maximum of 50% capacity.
Shanghai reopened movie theaters on June 25 for the postponed Shanghai Film Festival. Starting with just 33% capacity. To limit interactions: only online ticket sales and no food/drink concessions. T
Temp checks, "green" QR health code, facemasks + e-tickets required to enter.
2. Roughly a month later, circa Aug 1, SH movie theaters were allowed 50% capacity. Still I believe without lines or interactions with theater sales people.
Just ticket and screening check on entry.
3. Sept. 25, nearly 3 months after theater reopening, 75% capacity was permitted in China (and Shanghai)
That's the last I heard. Not sure if China allows 100% capacity yet.
Notice that they have multiple safeguards in place -- masks required, temp checks, green health code on phones, no sales to limit contact with staff.
It's like someone came up with a carefully worked out plan.
Since cinemas reopened in July, over 150 films have been released (including re-releases) to-date.
On 20 September, market performance data reports that in the past two months (Aug/Sept), the total number of cinema-goers in China was 150 million, with a total box-office of CNY 5.4 billion (~$900M)
Two Chinese films released over the Oct 1 National Day holiday pulled in $150M each.
The Hong Kong action movie "Shock Wave 2" earned $64.5 million in China and the Chinese fantasy movie "Dream of Eternity" grossed $39 million last weekend.
Rather nice to have entertainment, the economy working, people healthy and unafraid, living their lives normally. So how's the movie/theater business doing in the US?
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5 (45.5%)