Charlestowne 18 movie theater in St. Charles expected to remain closed until spring

ST. CHARLES – The screens at Charlestowne 18 movie theater in St. Charles along with other Classic Cinemas movie theaters are expected to remain dark until spring.

“We wanted so much to reopen in December, but it’s just not feasible with so much uncertainty and continued Tier 3 mitigations in Illinois,” Classic Cinemas states on its Facebook page. “We look forward to reopening in the spring.”

Movie theaters had to close as part of the Tier 3 mitigations, which Gov. JB Pritzker put in place in all 11 COVID-19 regions of the state on Nov. 20 as a way to stem the surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Charlestowne 18 had reopened on June 26 for a brief period as the state moved into phase 4 of Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan. It had been closed since March 16 as part of an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Classic Cinemas then made the decision to close their movie theatres on July 9.

"Our team took pride in implementing the health and safety protocols and received high marks for their efforts," Classic Cinemas said at the time. "Unfortunately, the lack of new movies and the extra costs have made our current business model unsustainable. We are in this for the long term so we look forward to welcoming you back just as soon as the outlook improves and new movies are released."

Cinemark Tinseltown USA in North Aurora also had to close as part of the Tier 3 mitigations.