EXCLUSIVE: The box office weekend projections for Warner Bros.’ Tenet just got higher. We can report that Regal Cinemas will have their cinemas reopened in time for this weekend’s release of the Christopher Nolan movie in New Jersey, Maryland and some cities in California.
As of tomorrow, Wednesday at 5PM, Regal will be reopening their theatres in San Diego along with two locations around El Dorado county and one in Sonora, CAa along with three in Anchorage, Alaska.
The Cineworld-owned chain will also open again in New Jersey as of Friday, and by 5PM on Friday, they’ll also be turning the lights back on in 11 locations in Maryland. The Oriole state recently announced the OK for movie theaters to reopen with a capacity limit at 50% , not to exceed 100 people per auditorium.
Regal closed its movie theaters due to the pandemic and began reopening two weeks ago; this past weekend 55% of all their locations were open.
AMC reported today that their San Diego locations will reopen putting 70% of the world’s No. 1 circuit back online, however, New Jersey and other parts of California (specifically San Francisco) will open in the near future. As we previously reported, we’ll have to sit on our hands here in California. Note, just because a state gives the all-clear to reopen, it’s up to each cinema location to determine if they can operate in time. It’s amazing here that some are pulling this off in less than a week’s time, as I’ve been told it can take up to at least ten days after a state or local municipality’s approval. In addition to training staff, cleaning, and restocking concessions, theaters have to get their online ticketing systems in line to accommodate their reduced auditorium capacities.
Starting yesterday, Tenet began early access previews in the U.S. The movie opened to No. 1 in Canada last weekend, but Warners will roll those grosses into the U.S. opening this coming weekend. Movio reported that advance ticket sales in the U.S., UK and Australia were eclipsing that of Nolan’s Dunkirk and Interstellar.