The curtain is up and the movies are back.
With the reopening of Regal Oakmont cinema at 4801 Cortez Road W. on Friday, all Bradenton-area movie houses will be back in business after being shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Lionsgate’s ‘Spiral’ will headline the new movies, including ‘Wrath of Man’ and ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead,’ along with a full slate of additional titles. Future releases opening in the coming weeks include ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ and ‘F9,’” the company said on Thursday.
And the rest of the movie plot goes like this:
Lakewood Ranch Cinema reopened for limited hours and days —12:30 to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday — on April 2 after being closed for four months because of the pandemic and lack of new films coming out of Hollywood last year.
Lakewood Ranch Cinemas requires moviegoers to wear masks at the theater, except when eating or drinking. Masks are available if needed.
AMC Bradenton 20, 2507 53rd Ave. E., is Manatee County’s largest cinema and has been open for several months.
Cineworld Group Plc , the company that owns 536 Regal cinemas in the United States and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse venues in the U.K. announced in October that it was closing its movie houses because of the pandemic, affecting 45,000 employee.
In Sarasota, Regal Hollywood, Burns Court Cinemas and CMX CinéBistro Siesta Key have all reopened. CMX hosted the Sarasota Film Festival, which wrapped up over the past weekend.
The Ruskin Family Drive-In has stayed open throughout the pandemic.
Parkway 8 Cinema, unofficially known as the dollar theater, located in Sarasota County just south of University Parkway, closed during the pandemic and has not reopened.
Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all Florida retail establishments closed in March 2020 to curb the spread of the virus. He allowed them to reopen in May, followed a month later by bars and movie theaters.
Herald staff writer Ryan Ballogg contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 13, 2021 3:55 PM.
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