Movie theaters making a triumphant return with the help of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Cinemark 8 1024x683 1 — Cinemark Theatre at Bridge Street Town Centre has seen crowded theaters for the new Top Gun movie. (Bridge Street Town Centre)

Like many industries, the movie theater business took a major blow when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and many theaters closed permanently during the pandemic. Slowly, however, movie theaters are starting to fill up again, and the release of the much-anticipated “Top Gun: Maverick” movie has theaters buzzing again.

The right film at the right time

284791272 10227571514014592 4413738799574330204 n 1 — Top Gun raked in more than $100 million in its first week in theaters. (Carmike Cinema 18 Jones Valley via Facebook)

The sequal to the 1986 action flick “Top Gun” (which in its own right was a pretty darm popular movie) is on a pace to break all kinds of records for revenue, and that might have as much to do with the public’s need to get back to the theaters as it does the content of the movie itself.

“Top Gun: Maverick” made an estimated $156 million domestically for its four-day opening weekend, according to a news release from Paramount. This is good news for the movie theater industry, and sets the stage for a possibly lucrative summer ahead.

The pandemic saw movie theaters all over the country sut down, and Huntsville saw the Regal Hollywood Stadium 18 movie theater close for good in January of 2021 after more than 20 years in business.

Where to catch ‘Top Gun: Maverick” in Huntsville

284218652 5053974711319097 2472444463150173838 n — Carmike Cinema 18 in Jones Valley is one of the theaters where you can see the Top Gun sequel. (Carmike Cinema 18 Jones Valley via Facebook)

Movie theaters in the Huntsville area have not had to turn anyone away just yet, but lines to see the new “Top Gun” movie are long, and moviegoers are urged to arrive at the theater early to get a seat.

“I didn’t know we would have to wait in line so long last night, so my husband and I left and came back today to see it at an earlier and less crowded time. But we still have had to wait in line.”
Charlotte Harris, moviegoer at Cinemark at Bridge Street

Here are the theaters showing “Top Gun: Maverick” in the Huntsville area:

AMC Valley Bend 18: 1485 4 Mile Post Rd SE, Huntsville, AL 35802
Cinemark Bridge Street: 370 The Bridge St, Huntsville, AL 35806
Cineplanet 15: 2100 Hughes Rd, Madison, AL 35758
AMC Classic 12: 1801 Beltline Rd SW, Decatur, AL 35601
Hollywood 10: 3519 S Broad St, Scottsboro, AL 35769

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