Regal sets reopening dates for movie theaters in Columbia, other SC cities
For nearly six months, the screens at Regal Cinemas’ movie theaters in Columbia and across South Carolina — normally a showcase for the biggest superhero flicks, romantic comedies, animated kids pics and prestige award offerings Hollywood has to offer — have been dark amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But as vaccines continue to roll out across the nation and bits of normalcy begin to creep back into day-to-day life, it appears the popcorn will soon be popping at Regal once again.
Regal, the nation’s second-largest theater chain, has set dates for reopening theaters nationwide. It will be a tiered approach, with a number of theaters in major markets opening as soon as April 2, just in time for the Warner Bros. monster blowout “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
Regal’s South Carolina theaters will not be in that initial April 2 reopening, but will follow along in subsequent phases.
The chain operates four theaters in the Midlands. The Columbiana Grande off Harbison Boulevard and the Regal Sandhill in northeast Columbia are each slated to reopen on May 7. The Northlake Village in Lexington will open again on May 14, and the Regal Columbia, atop the Richland Mall in Forest Acres, is scheduled to reopen May 21.
Movie theaters have faced a steep challenge amid COVID-19, as have many indoor entertainment venues and concert halls. Unlike Regal, some movie theater chains, including AMC, and independent cinemas chose to stay open during the rugged winter of the pandemic.
However, there’s been a dearth of blockbuster content for theaters to show, as the major studios chose to delay many of their biggest films until audiences were comfortable going to cinemas again. Though with offerings like this weekend’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Mortal Kombat” on April 16 and Disney’s “Cruella” on May 28, it appears studios are now set to get a good gauge on audiences’ willingness to come back to the movies.
Columbia’s three AMC locations have been open for months, as has Spotlight’s discount cinema on St. Andrews Road. The independent Nikelodeon Theatre on Main Street remains shuttered, though it said in a letter to supporters recently that it is looking forward to a return. Meanwhile, the Big Mo drive-in in Monetta says it is tentatively planning to reopen in late April or early May.
Here’s a look at Regal Cinemas’ planned reopening schedule in South Carolina:
April 16 — Regal Hollywood (Greenville)
May 7 — Palmetto Grande (Charleston), Azalea Square (Charleston), Sandhill (Columbia), Columbiana Grande (Columbia), Cherrydale (Greenville), Spartan (Spartanburg), Regal Simpsonville (Simpsonville)
May 14 — Starlight (Anderson), Northlake Village (Lexington)
May 21 — Aiken Mall (Aiken), Cinebarre (Mount Pleasant), Columbia Cinema (Columbia), Swamp Fox (Florence), Westgate Mall (Spartanburg)
This story was originally published March 30, 2021 at 2:40 PM.
