Now in red tier, Maya Cinemas in Bakersfield, Delano set to reopen

You may miss sitting back in a reclining chair, tub of popcorn in hand, watching movies come to life on the big screen, surrounded by dozens of blaring speakers, making you feel entrenched in whatever film you've decided to watch.

The COVID-19 pandemic has gutted the movie industry, specifically theaters.

But in Kern County, that will soon be changing.

On Tuesday, the county learned it would be graduating to the red tier from the most restrictive purple tier, in the state's tiered system that designates what counties can and cannot do as it looks to curb the coronavirus.

Movie theaters are among the businesses allowed to reopen, with limited capacity.

On Tuesday, Maya Cinemas posted on Facebook, saying, "Maya Cinemas Bakersfield & Delano OPEN FRIDAY! We are taking many precautions in our theaters to create a safe environment so that you can sit back, relax and ENJOY THE SHOW!"

The Maya Cinemas website still doesn't have a list of movies that will be playing. But other Maya theaters across the state and country are playing Halloween classics like, "Hocus Pocus," "The Lost Boys," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Coco" along with new hits like "Tenet".

A quick search of other theaters in Kern County showed no dates on reopening.

Reading Cinemas at the Valley Plaza said it was in the process of reoepening, but did not have a specific date, only saying in a Facebook post: "We are very excited to reopen soon, and we are working hard on our plan to help maintain safety and retain 6-feet of social distancing throughout the theater!"

We'll continue to monitor any updates from local theaters and bring them to you as soon as they're available.