Movie theater owners, frustrated by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to keep cinemas closed, are pleading with him to reopen venues in the state. The executive committee of the Global Cinema Federation, a worldwide organization of major cinema operators, wrote an open letter urging Cuomo to soften his stance and consider allowing parts of the state to reopen multiplexes.

The decision to keep theaters in New York closed, the group argues, have implications that reverberate well beyond the Empire State. New York is one of the biggest moviegoing markets in the country. Without theaters in the area open, Hollywood studios have been reluctant to release new movies. And without fresh product to entice audiences, cinemas across the globe have been forced to close their doors again. In the meantime, high-profile films like Pixar’s “Soul,” the Bond sequel “No Time to Die,” and Marvel’s “Black Widow” continue to vacate the 2020 release schedule.

“The state of New York is an important market for the exhibition industry, not only in the United States but also around the world,” the letter said.

Part of the frustration among exhibitors is the lack of clarity surrounding reopening plans. In late August, Cuomo suggested movie theaters would be among the next wave of businesses to reopen. As of mid-October, there’s still no indication that’s possible any time soon. Cuomo, earlier in October, doubled down on his stance that he won’t rush to reopen movie theaters in the middle of a pandemic.

“We’re moving heaven and Earth trying to stop a second wave and people need to acknowledge that we’re still in a pandemic and start to act like it,” Richard Azzopardi, senior advisor to Gov. Cuomo, said on Oct. 5. “We understand some people are unhappy, but you know what? Better unhappy than sick or worse.”

The movie theater business employs hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Many were furloughed or laid off amid the coronavirus crisis. More will remain permanently out of work unless the situation improves.
“It is genuinely no exaggeration to say that the continued closure of cinemas in your state has put their future in jeopardy, and we ask that exhibitors in New York be given the opportunity to operate again,” GCF said.