Harkins Theatres will reopen all of its Arizona theaters on Friday, Aug. 28.

The company, the largest theater chain in the state, made the announcement Tuesday. It had previously announced plans to reopen its theaters in Flagstaff, Prescott Valley and Sedona, also on Friday, as well as one theater each in Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma.

Mike Bowers, the president and CEO of Harkins Theatres, said the company had received approval from the state Tuesday. Theaters in Yuma will have more restricted protocols, such as reduced seat count, in order to open, he said.

AMC, the country’s largest movie theater chain, previously announced plans to open Aug. 21, but hasn’t been approved in the Phoenix area yet.

Gov. Doug Ducey closed movie theaters on March 20, as COVID-19 cases began to rise. The state’s stay-at-home order expired on May 15, but few theaters reopened, citing safety concerns over COVID-19.

Films opening Friday include “The New Mutants” and “Unhinged.” In addition, “Tenet,” the much-talked about film by Christopher Nolan that is seen as a life preserver for a film industry crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, will open on Sept. 4; early screenings will begin Aug. 31. More information is available on the Harkins website.

What COVID-19 safety will look like at Harkins

Harkins listed several audience requirements in the release, including:

• Face coverings required for the Harkins team and for guests (except while eating or drinking in seats).
• If a guest does not have a face covering, one will be available at the theater.
• Guests that do not want to wear a face covering will not be admitted.
• Added cleaning staff and further enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures throughout the theater and all touch points.
• Daily health checks for employees.
• Social distancing required throughout the entire theater building.
• Reserved seating in all theaters.
• Reduced and socially distant seating between every pair of seats.
• Staggered showtimes to reduce the number of guests in the lobby.
• Safety shields at all guest interaction points.
• Harkins Loyalty Cups will be refilled using a new paper cup (all other refills on paper drink and popcorn containers will be discontinued until further notice).
• Increased fresh air, hospital-grade MERV 13 air filters, and HEPA filtered vacuums will be used in all auditoriums.
• Sanitizer stations available throughout the theater.

“After nearly six months, we are so happy and deeply grateful to our team and our valued guests for the opportunity to carefully begin our return to deliver on this mission again,” Bowers said.

Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.

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