Regal Cinemas to reopen Anchorage theater after nationwide pandemic closure

One of Anchorage’s three Regal Cinemas movie theaters is scheduled to reopen this week after being closed for months during the pandemic.

The Tikahtnu Commons theater in Muldoon will reopen Friday, the company announced in an online statement.

All Anchorage movie theaters closed in March 2020 in accordance with citywide mandates intended to curb the spread of COVID-19. By September, the three Regal theaters and the Century 16 and XD theater in Midtown had reopened at a reduced capacity.

The three Regal theaters closed indefinitely in October as the company shuttered operations across the country because filming and production pauses led to limited new releases, the company said at the time. The theater chain also saw significant financial losses during the pandemic.

Another mandated closure in December paused operations at the Anchorage Century 16 theater, but shows resumed in January and the theater has been operating with pandemic precautions since. The theater also began hosting private watch parties, in which groups could rent a theater for up to 20 guests.

The single-screen Bear Tooth Theatrepub remains closed but is offering virtual screenings, according to its website.

The Regal Cinema in the Dimond Center shopping mall is scheduled to reopen May 14 and the location on Muldoon Road will have showings again beginning May 21, according to the company’s website. The Fairbanks location is also expected to open Friday.

All locations will require face masks, and the theaters have additional cleaning and safety measures in place, the company said.