Selected Nu Metro cinemas to open this August

The magic of the movies is making a return to a big screen near you at the end of August! Yes, Nu Metro cinemas confirmed that most of their flagship cinema complexes in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Giyani (Limpopo) will reopen on Friday, 28 August 2020.

This comes after the group could not operate for the past five months due to lockdown regulations and other risk-based precautions.

The cinematic experience

“Nu Metro is very excited to go big again with the magic of the movies,” said Chantelle Burrows, Nu Metro Cinemas: Marketing and Content Executive. “Nothing can ever replace the cinematic experience of enjoying movies in the way they were meant to be seen. Our commitment and responsibility towards customers have never been stronger as we face this ‘new normal’ together. Public’s safety, as well as the safety and health of our team members, is our highest priority. Nu Metro has been anxiously anticipating this moment to reopen our doors to movie fans once again, as part of a coordinated industry effort to restart this business we love to call showbiz. See you at the movies!”

How it will work

Those cinemas not opening on 28 August will be reopened in the near future, and remain temporarily closed as part of Nu Metro’s responsible reopening strategy. In line with Nu Metro’s commitment to ensuring the health and safety of customers and staff, cinemas will initially only be open to the public on Fridays to Sundays (and public holidays), with limited showtimes per day and some films being screened over multiple screens with staggered time slots per complex. Based on level 2 lockdown regulations, the scheduling of films is planned in such a way to ensure adherence to the current 22:00 curfew and to effectively support measures to enable social distancing, avoid over-crowding in foyers and limit capacities per cinema.

Apart from Nu Metro’s regular 2D and 3D cinemas, most of their premium cinema experiences will also reopen on a limited basis in select complexes – including multi-sensory 4DX, “Premium Large Format” Xtreme and luxurious VIP theatres.

Nu Metro’s VIP cinema experience will include bar- and sit-down restaurant services with the required social distancing and other preventative measures being implemented. In-cinema dining ordered from Nu Metro’s VIP menu will also be served, according to the health and safety regulations in place for restaurants.

The first phase

Director Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated Tenet will be the first major new movie scheduled for cinemas’ reopening. Along with other new releases, Nu Metro will also offer a selection of recent box office hits and other audience favourites being re-released during the first phase of its reopening. This scheduling strategy is due to the limited availability of new filmed content for cinemas worldwide, caused by the postponement of films’ release dates globally.

Some of the key health and safety protocols being implemented

Based on current governmental regulations and guided by advice from the Department of Health, the World Health Organisation and internationally accepted expert input – some of the key health and safety protocols being implemented in Nu Metro’s cinemas follow below:

• Online bookings are encouraged through Nu Metro’s website (numetro.co.za) prior to customers visiting cinemas. At cinemas, purchases can be made at the self-service terminals, box office and confectionery/catering counters with the required safety precautions. Contactless tap and go payment facilities are also available in cinemas.

• Mask-wearing will be mandatory for all customers and staff within all Nu Metro’s cinema complexes nationwide. Masks can only be taken off while eating or drinking.

• Temperature checks will be done on arrival for all customers at access points to cinema complexes. This is in addition to hourly temperature and hygiene check-ups being done on staff by each complex’s appointed compliance officer. 

• Nu Metro is enabling social distancing by introducing at least 1.5 metres of distance between booked seats. This measure has been introduced by blocking 2 ‘buffer’ seats on either side of a customer’s selection. Such blocked seats appear in a zigzag pattern throughout each auditorium. Only two customers per booking can be seated next to each other, with ‘buffer’ seats blocked on either side, in front of and behind them.

In this manner, cinema capacity is also capped at below 50 visitors, in compliance with the recommended specifications from the South African Government.

Floor decals and other communications in cinemas will manage the same social distancing measures in cinema foyers.

The stagger-time between shows has been increased to limit the number of guests in foyers at the same time. Appointed compliance offices and cinema staff will further support standard access control and crowd management measures in this regard.

• Customers will have direct access to hand sanitiser at cinema access points and 70-80% of all other areas in each of Nu Metro’s reopened complexes nationwide. Customers are encouraged to sanitise regularly through various in-cinema messages.
• All cinemas will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after each and every show, along with a nightly deep-cleaning of all complexes.
• All high-touch point areas such as kiosks, self-service terminals, serving counters, door handles, rails, benches, booths and bathroom areas will be disinfected on a regular basis daily – with the cleaning frequency for service counters every 30 minutes.
• All Nu Metro staff have been retrained in effective and frequent hand-washing – targeting fronts, backs, wrists and between fingers – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds every time.
• Popcorn seasoning shakers/dispensers have been replaced by sealed, disposable sachets, along with other precautionary measures at confectionery/catering counters.