Movie Theaters in New York Still Have No Re-Opening Date

The fate of movie theaters in New York is still unclear, Spectrum News reports.

As of now, every state, except New York and North Carolina, have either opened movie theaters or announced a plan for when they will do so. Without this information, new movies set to come out this year are getting delayed.

"It's just baffling why New York isn't open and why we can't get any kind of an answer out of the governor's office about when we can reopen," said Joe Masher, chief operating officer of Bow Tie Cinemas and president of the National Association of Theater Owners of New York State.

"All they would have to say is, 'OK movie theaters can open on October X' and then studios will have some relief, as long as the numbers are still good, and will keep their movies on the calendar," he said.

Many studios have been pushing back premiere dates or releasing films online, as New York is the biggest movie market.

The governor's office issued the following statement in response:

"New York State has been following the data and latest science on the virus to re-open the economy safely and we are doing the same when it comes to movie theaters.

Movie theaters remain closed, along with similar activities around the state, as they present the challenge of customers sitting for long periods in an enclosed space with the potential for activities such as eating and drinking that require a mask to be removed. In New York, we will continue to track the data and the science, and we will make a decision on re-opening them here when health experts determine it is safe to do so."

Read more on Spectrum News.