Classic Cinemas in Woodstock and Carpentersville to temporarily close amid COVID-19 pandemic

Classic Cinemas theaters in Carpentersville and Woodstock will temporarily close at the end of the day Thursday, the Downers Grove-based theater chain announced.

After shutting their doors on March 16 to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Classic Cinemas theaters in Carpentersville and Woodstock reopened June 26 as the state moved into Phase 4 of Gov. JB Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan.

Classic Cinemas announced in a post on Facebook that it will temporarily close all 14 of its theaters at the end of the day Thursday. The theaters had been operating with a 50% capacity and 50-person limit based on the state's guidelines.

A lack of new movies and added costs because of COVID-19 has made the current business model unsustainable, the chain said. No target return date has been announced.

"After much deliberation and with a heavy heart, Classic Cinemas has decided to temporarily re-close our locations after the end of business on Thursday, July 9th," the Facebook post stated. "Our team took pride in implementing the health and safety protocols and received high marks for their efforts. 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.

After reopening June 26, Classic Cinemas required masks for patrons (when not seated) and increased cleaning between showtimes, including disinfecting seats after each show. Employees had to pass temperature screenings and wear masks and gloves.

Other Classic Cinemas theaters to temporarily close after Thursday include Downers Grove, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Fox Lake, Freeport, Kankakee, North Riverside, Oak Park, Sandwich and St. Charles.

Movies now playing at Carpentersville and Woodstock Classic Cinemas include: "Bloodshot," "Deadpool," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Ghostbusters," "Gladiator," "Grease," "Instructions Not Included," "Jumanji: The Next Level," "Jurassic World," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "The Dark Knight," "The Fast and the Furious," "The Jungle Book," and "Trolls World Tour."