Movie theaters have been closed for several months now, but they're slowly starting to reopen. The original plan was for that to happen in July, but an increase in COVID-19 cases meant the goal is now late August/early September for most chains. However, while measures are being put in place to ensure people's safety in theaters, some experts believe it's still not worth the risk.
During a recent interview with AV Club, Dr. Anne W. Rimoin, professor epidemiology and director of Center for Global And Immigrant Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, dismissed the notion that heading to your local multiplex to see The New Mutants or Tenet is a good idea.
"Short of renting out an entire theater, which is obviously not an option for most of us, there is no scenario in which going to a movie theater is a good idea," Dr. Rimoin said. "[You] should definitely not be in an indoor area where you'd be taking your mask off, not even for eating. Movie theaters have all of that."
Epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed agreed, stating: "I’m a huge fan of movies. I really enjoy them. They're a great way to have some fun and escape from the world—which we need, especially right now. But going to see a movie in an indoor movie theater, it’s just about the last thing I would do right now."
"And if they're selling concessions, people are gonna be taking off their masks and eating, and that's tantamount to eating in a restaurant in a closed space -- even worse, because you're basically in a closed box," he continued. "There aren’t even windows, there’s no ventilation. Right now you want to be thinking about 'time, space, people, place.'"
In other words, if you decide to go and watch any upcoming releases on the big screen, you're very much doing so at your own risk, and it might be safer to wait for a PVOD release later this year.
Are you going to return to your local theater in the coming weeks?