Regal Theatres May Close All NC Locations, Including Huntersville

HUNTERSVILLE, NC — Coronavirus hasn't just sickened millions worldwide and claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Americans — it's also prompted business closings across the globe. Now, a theater chain with 18 North Carolina locations, including Huntersville, has announced it is considering shuttering all of its theaters in the U.S. and U.K., at least temporarily.

On Sunday, Cineworld, which operates 543 Regal Theatres in the U.S., confirmed it's mulling the closures.

The news comes in response to MGM delaying the release of the newest James Bond film, "No Time To Die," from November until April 2021.

"We can confirm we are considering the temporary closure of our U.K. and US cinemas, but a final decision has not yet been reached," the company said on Twitter. "Once a decision has been made we will update all staff and customers as soon as we can."

In North Carolina, Regal operates 18 theaters:

• Apex, Regal Beaver Creek & RPX
• Asheville, Regal Biltmore Grande & RPX
• Huntersville, Regal Birkdale & RPX
• Boone, Regal Boone Cinema
• Raleigh, Regal Brier Creek
• Charlotte, Regal Cinebarre Arboretum
• Cary, Regal Crossroads & IMAX - Cary
• Gastonia, Regal Franklin Square
• Greensboro, Regal Greensboro Grande & RPX
• Greenville, Regal Greenville Grande
• Wilmington, Regal Mayfaire & IMAX
• Raleigh, Regal North Hills
• High Point, Regal Palladium & IMAX
• Charlotte, Regal Phillips Place
• Charlotte, Regal Starlight - Charlotte
• Charlotte, Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen 4DX, IMAX & RPX
• Chapel Hill, Regal Timberlyne
• Garner, Regal White Oak

Regal is the second-largest theater chain in the U.S., behind AMC, and the largest in the U.K., according to comicbook.com.

Theaters are among the many businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with some cinema chains pushing back reopening dates over the summer as the virus continued to take its toll.

Coronavirus has pushed back the release of dozens of movies, including expected blockbusters like "Black Widow," which was originally set for release on May 1 (now tentatively expected in theaters May 7, 2021), "Wonder Woman 1984" (moved from a June 1 release to Christmas Day) and "The Batman" (moved from June 2021 to October 2021).

Original story by Shannon Antinori, Patch Staff