New York (AFP)

The United States had its first real weekend of reboot of theatrical screenings, with the entry of heavyweights AMC and Regal, but spectators only returned tentatively, as the country still registers more than 40,000 new cases of coronavirus daily.

Thursday, the first operator of theaters of the United States, AMC, had reopened 100 theaters, and expects to put back in service 300 others in the two weeks to come. Its runner-up, Regal, also reopened several sites on Friday, but did not release an aggregate figure.

The country's third channel, Cinemark, had started a gradual restart on August 14 and accelerated this weekend.

Several major states, primarily California, New York and New Jersey, have not yet authorized the reopening of cinemas and have not given a timetable.

During this first test weekend, the North American box office (Canada and United States) exceeded, for the first time since March 15, the $ 5 million in box office receipts, according to the specialized site Box Office Mojo, at 6.6 million.

Usually, ticket sales rarely drop below $ 100 million on a weekend.

The first big production to attempt a release after five months of hiatus was "Enragé", a thriller starring New Zealand actor Russell Crowe, which evokes the madness of a frustrated motorist turned into predator.

But although almost alone on stage, the feature film had to settle for $ 4 million in North American box office receipts for its second week of operation, the first with a substantial number of theaters (1,823) , according to Box Office Mojo.

"Enragé" is the first film to make over a million dollars in the United States and Canada in a weekend since March.

Sign of the reluctance of spectators to return to a closed room, the specialized firm Exhibitor Relations noted that the top five sites in terms of ticket sales this weekend were all drive-ins, open-air cinemas where the you stay in your vehicle during the screening.

Before the restart, the American association of theater operators (NATO) published a health protocol on Friday that concerns 2,600 sites and 30,000 rooms.

It provides in particular for the wearing of a compulsory mask, social distancing, except for people who have come together, and a ventilation system in working order.

© 2020 AFP