Select movie theaters in Chicago suburbs to reopen Friday with state’s OK

Cinemas in Elmhurst, North Riverside, Elk Grove Village and elsewhere put restrictions on audiences coming to see old and newish films indoors.

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Every other row is taped off to facilitate social distancing at the Elk Grove theater in Elk Grove Village.

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Movie theaters in Elmhurst, North Riverside and several other suburban locations will reopen Friday as the launch of Illinois’ Phase 4 allows indoor filmgoing to resume.

The York Theatre in Elmhurst and the Luxury 6 in North Riverside will be among the cinemas reopening their doors.

They’re all part of the Classic Cinemas chain, which also will be welcoming patrons Friday at the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, the Cinema 12 in Carpentersville, the Cinema 7 in Sandwich, the Elk Grove in Elk Grove Village, the Fox Lake in Fox Lake, the Paramount Theatre in Kankakee and the Woodstock in Woodstock, as well as locations in Beloit, Wisconsin, and Freeport.

The movie lineups are a mix of releases from earlier this year (“Invisible Man,” “Bloodshot,” “I Still Believe,” “Trolls World Tour”) and old favorites (“Space Jam,” “Batman Begins,” the four Indiana Jones films).

Only one brand new movie will be playing: the British rave drama “Beats,” showing at the Charlestowne.

The beginning of Phase 4 permits indoor theaters to open for the first time since mid-March, although several drive-in movie theaters old and new have been operating in and around Chicago for the last few weeks. Most indoor theaters in the area are remaining closed for now.

“It is still unclear if the general public is ready to return to movie theaters,” said Karen Durham, associate director of the Gene Siskel Film Center in the Loop. “Due to the capacity limits and extra expenses of maintaining a safe environment, we’re still assessing the feasibility of reopening.”

At the Logan Theatre in Logan Square, marketing director Jennifer Zacarias said the doors will open only when “we are confident that our new policies and procedures are in line with the new guidelines dictated by the CDC, state and city.”

Classic Cinemas will be complying with the state’s limit of no more than 50 people or 50% capacity per auditorium (whichever is fewer) and staggering showtimes to avoid lobby congestion.

The theater is recommending reserving seats online to allow for three empty seats (or two luxury recliners) between groups. Masks will be required except when seated.

Employees will need to pass a health screening before every shift, wear masks and gloves and disinfect seats after every showtime.

Some of the state’s theater owners are lobbying for Pritzker to eliminate the 50-people-per-room cap and allow attendance at 50% capacity for auditoriums of any size. The National Association of Theater Owners of Illinois said in a statement Tuesday that the 50-customer limit will deny theaters revenue needed to rehire workers, purchase supplies and cover overhead costs.

“We are eager to salvage what’s left of the summer blockbuster season,” said NATO president Chris Johnson (also CEO of Classic Cinemas), “and reclaim our role as a safe space to escape from life’s struggles.”

Movie studios have postponed the openings of their highest-profile films while theaters are closed but plan to roll out a few grand-scale titles in the coming weeks, starting with the Russell Crowe road-rage thriller “Unhinged” on July 10. The stakes get higher with Disney’s live-action “Mulan” on July 24 and Christopher Nolan’s spy epic “Tenet” on July 31.

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