Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema, shuttered for the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to reopen, according to a spokeswoman. But the reopening date is not yet known.
Movie theaters across Maryland closed on March 16, 2020, as part of an executive order by Gov. Larry Hogan that closed multiple types of businesses.
Hogan later lifted some restrictions on theaters in September, although Montgomery County kept its restrictions in place. Hogan has since lifted all restrictions on movie theaters.
The county eventually began allowing movie theaters to reopen at limited capacity in March and April of this year. On May 28, the theaters were allowed to open at full capacity due to the county lifting most COVID-19 restrictions and deferring to the state’s guidance.
The Bethesda Row theater is currently listed as temporarily closed on Landmark’s website, as are two Landmark theaters in Washington, D.C.
Mabel Tam, a spokeswoman for Landmark, wrote in an email to Bethesda Beat that the company plans to reopen the Bethesda Row theater.
“We do have plans to re-open ASAP, but have not pinned down a date just yet that we can announce,” she wrote.
Five other movie theaters in Montgomery County reopened last month, and one has announced that it will stay closed permanently.
- IPIC Theaters in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose development reopened last month, according to its Facebook page.
- ArcLight Cinemas in Bethesda’s Westfield Montgomery mall is not reopening following an announcement in April that parent company Pacific Theaters is closing all of its locations.
- Regal Majestic & IMAX in downtown Silver Spring reopened last month, the theater posted on Facebook.
- Regal Rockville Center reopened last month.
- AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in downtown Silver Spring reopened on May 28, according to its Facebook page.
- AMC Dine-In Rio Cinemas 18 in Gaithersburg had reopened as of May 15, according to the retail development’s Facebook page.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media