AMC pushes reopening to August as Hollywood continues to shift movie slate

A medical worker wearing a mask walks near the AMC movie theater in Times Square amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 7, 2020 in New York City.

Alexi Rosenfeld | Getty Images

AMC will wait until August to reopen its movie theaters in the U.S., the company said Thursday.

The largest exhibitor in the U.S. had planned on reopening in July, a few weeks before the release of Warner Bros. "Tenet" and Disney's "Mulan." However, after "Tenet" was delayed for a third time, AMC is shifting its strategy. 

Other big movie theater chains could also delay their July openings. 

"Mulan" is currently slated for release on Aug. 21, although there is speculation that if coronavirus cases continue to spike, Disney could postpone that release in the U.S., as well. "Tenet," which had been used as an anchor for movie theater reopenings, does not have a new release date, though Warner Bros. is expected to announce one in the coming days.

AT&T CEO John Stankey assured movie theater owners that "Tenet" would not skip its theatrical release during an earnings call Thurday.

AMC reached a debt agreement earlier this month that should help the chain remain solvent through 2021. The exhibitor has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak and all of its locations in the U.S. have been shuttered since mid-March. In June, the company acknowledged that the pandemic could push it into bankruptcy.

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