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Sonic The Hedgehog, Jumanji, and Birds of Prey characters will all be waiting inside movie theatres next Friday, three months after both Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas had to close their doors.
While movie theatres can open Monday, Cineplex spokesperson Sarah Van Lange said the chain needed more time to make everything as safe as possible for both staff and patrons.
“It gives us a chance to recall our staff and spend some time retraining them,” she said. “So we’re putting in place a number of important health and safety features and we want to make sure that our teams are both trained on them and have some experience and time to familiarize themselves with them before we have guests back in the building.”
Some of those measures include using hospital-grade sanitizing chemicals to clean doors, chairs, counters and other common areas. Seats will be cleaned between every movie.
Capacity will be between 60 and 80 per cent of what it used to be, depending on the theatre size and configuration, and every second row will be blocked off to allow for physical distancing. After a movie is over, a staff member will allow moviegoers to exit, row by row.
Concessions will be open for simple items like popcorn, candy and pop. Specialty items like pizzas, poutine, nachos and hamburgers or anything else that requires a longer wait time won’t be available right away.
Depending on the theatre setup, some gaming areas may be available, but not all games may be up and running, again, to ensure proper physical distancing.
Guests will also be required to take all of their garbage with them when they exit the theatres after the shows, and showtimes will be staggered, to allow for theatre cleaning.
As for what’s playing?
“We’ll be showing initially popular new releases that you might have missed in theatres,” explains Van Lange. “Movies like Sonic the Hedgehog and the new Jumanji.”
The price for any seat available will be $5 every day, with the exception of Tuesdays, when the price will be discounted to $3.
“So if you’re sitting in a D-Box Motion seat, it’s $5. If you’re sitting in recliner seat it’s $5,” Van Lange said.
Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, tickets would cost as much as $20.
Patrons are being asked to arrive only 15 minutes before their movie begins, to ensure the lobbies aren’t overwhelmed. Any earlier than that and they may be asked to wait outside the theatre.
Mask use won’t be mandatory, but encouraged. Masks and sanitizer will also be available at the theatres. Staff will be required to wear them.
The details for Landmark Cinemas are expected to be announced Thursday.