China is closing down all of its movie theaters again

China has decided to reverse a decision to open movie theaters by closing them down again, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

What happened:

• China’s film leaders have decided to close down the country’s cinemas again after reopening them briefly for two weeks, THR reports.
• More than 600 theaters were opened over the last week. But Beijing’s Film Bureau announced the theaters would need to close again.
• No official word was given as to why the theaters were closed again.
• Industry experts told THR that the government “was worried about a potential second wave of the coronavirus infections.”

Speculation about the movies began earlier

• The China Film Group in Shanghai and the China Film Bureau called to open the theaters by the end of the month, which I wrote about for the Deseret News.
• The opening would kick off “a gradual recovery after being shuttered since the Lunar New Year due to the coronavirus outbreak,” according to Deadline.

In the United States, things are much different

• The United States’ movie theaters remain on lockdown. Different theaters — including AMC, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark and Megaplex Theatres — have closed down because of the coronavirus pandemic, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
• Jeff Whipple of Megaplex Theatres suggested theaters will be read to open again soon. “We’re looking forward to the time when people are ready to come back to the theaters and we’ll be ready.”