BUFFALO, N.Y. — Movie fans, get ready.
Starting Friday, 4 Regal Cinemas in Western New York will reopen and end a lengthy closure.
Regal Elmwood Center, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit Center & IMAX and Regal Walden Galleria have been slated to reopen.
Guests are required to wear face masks at all times, except when eating and drinking while seated in the theater. Social distancing measures will be in place inside the theaters and in the lobby.
"We've been closed since the middle of last summer, and we could've been open with 33%, but the movie houses and the big movie-makers didn't want to release their movies when there is going to be a small turnout," said Regal Quaker Crossing general manager Gerry Buchheit.
However, now things are looking up. On April 26, Gov. Andrew Cuomo expanded capacity limits to 33% for movie theatres, and come May 19 that capacity limit is expected to be lifted with social distancing and masks.
Buchheit said Regal Quaker Crossing in Orchard Park is prepared to follow public health measures. On its website, Regal said people will be encouraged to buy tickets and concessions through their mobile app to help maintain social distancing
"We've got plenty of space between the seats, the reclining seats we have there, and they are all numbered seats so people are not going to be too close," he said. "And now is the time people are getting their vaccinations, and COVID is going down, so it's a great time to get back going again."
Aurora Theatre owner Lynn Kinsella chose to pause theatre operations between January and the end of March because of NYS capacity restrictions and very few movie releases.
The Aurora Theatre is back open and showing independent classic films through Memorial Day. Kinsella said she is looking forward to the release of "A Quiet Place II," a movie shot in Western New York.
"We are treating this as our grand reopening and back to the big screen because this is going to be a great movie to see with people on the big screen," Kinsella said.
The North Park Theatre on Hertel Avenue recently reopened on April 22.
"This is the first time that we've been able to open where it's safe enough, where the vaccination level is high enough, so we feel that it's the right time to reopen," said Ray Barker, program director at North Park Theatre.
Here is a list of other movie theatres open in Western New York, some with limited days and times:
- AMC Maple Ridge 8
- AMC Arcade 8
- Dipson Theatres
- Hamburg Palace Theatre
- The Screening Room