The Razorback Cinema Grill and IMAX in Fayetteville and the Rogers Towne Cinema Grill were the first two NWA indoor theaters to re-open in the coronavirus age. For the moment, Malco’s lone competition in the market is the 112 Drive-In in Fayetteville, where classic box-office hits have been the norm since it re-opened in late spring.īut in Arkansas, there isn’t much industry to grab. There are three Malcos in the area and one AMC, the largest cinema chain in North America, which just announced its plan to push back its nationwide reopening plan. ![]() Northwest Arkansas - a local colloquial term for the cities of Bentonville (home to Walmart), Springdale (home to Tyson Foods), Fayetteville (home to the University of Arkansas), Rogers, and their surrounding small towns - boasts a population just above 500,000. About a third of its houses have re-opened so far, including some in Arkansas, a state which has seen its COVID-19 caseload rise consistently over the course of June 2020. With more than 30 theaters and about 340 screens, the Memphis, Tennessee-based chain has begun re-opening certain locations in the American South. Just as most theaters don’t enforce bans on cell-phone use during movies, they won’t be able to enforce safety standards Depending on geography, some will chance it. So as more states move toward re-opening, theaters are being left to determine their futures with limited new product available. ![]() The cost of rent alone for movie theaters’ high-priced, massive showhouses can run even the largest of chains into the ground financially. New productions have been shut down, and if no new movies are being made, new movies can’t be shown. The supply chain has come to an nearly absolute grinding halt. Like so many American businesses, movie houses have been hard-hit by the pandemic. And that makes the immediate future of theaters look pretty bleak. Problem is, just as most theaters don’t enforce bans on cell-phone use during movies, they won’t be able to enforce safety standards if moviegoers won’t cooperate. A May EDO survey found 75 percent of respondents would return to theaters, if certain safety measures were enforced. But after months of American theaters largely being shut down as part of the COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, theaters have regained a certain amount of cachet, and people are clamoring to return to them - if it’s safe. These monuments celebrating Hollywood grandeur have been overshadowed by the lower costs, greater choice, and creature comforts of a home-theater setup and streaming services. Over the last decade-plus, modern movie cineplexes have grown quieter and quieter.
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