Nothing is sacred in the fight against COVID-19, not even popcorn at the movies. As part of Ontario’s new guidelines for larger venues, food and drinks can no longer be served to keep people from removing their masks. That includes movie theatres and yes, that means it’s curtains for your giant bag of buttery kernels.
On Friday, Cineplex made an announcement about the changes coming to its theatres across Canada. In its update for Ontario, Cineplex wrote, “Starting on Sunday, we won’t be able to serve you food or drinks, including our famous popcorn. We’re with you — it won’t be the same!”
From Cineplex’s announcement, it looks like Ontario is the only province where food and drinks are no longer allowed. And don’t even think about smuggling your own snacks into the theatres — according to Cineplex, outside food or drink is not permitted.
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An update for movie lovers ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LoEYML4q7Q
— Cineplex (@CineplexMovies) December 17, 2021
The company also announced that theatres in Ottawa are subject to physical distancing requirements and that certain showtimes may be affected, but movie-goers in the Toronto area may also have a harder time finding a screening for their film of choice.
Kevin Watts, the Executive VP of Exhibition & LBE at Cineplex, told CTV that people in the GTA “may have to find a different showtime or a different theatre” due to the new limited seating requirements.
To avoid any confusion, the people who already purchased tickets in advance will be able to see their movie at their chosen time and date. But, because rules seem to be changing quickly here in Ontario, movie-goers should still keep an eye on their inbox for updates.
Sadly, this also means you won’t be able to get anything to eat or drink at the next concert or Raptor game you go to. But hey, at least they aren’t getting cancelled altogether… yet.
