NORTH CAROLINA -- Gov. Roy Cooper plans to announce whether North Carolina will enter Phase 3 of reopening on September 11.

By then, businesses like movie theaters will have been closed in the state for more than 6 months.

This weekend, local movie chain Stone Theatres opened its two South Carolina cinemas at half capacity. It has four locations in North Carolina.

Even if the governor reopens cinemas, Stone Theatres estimates it’s already lost well over half its ticket sales on the year, entirely missing the summer blockbuster season.

Stone Theatres Vice President of Operations Dale Coleman hopes a successful reopening in South Carolina will help compel Cooper.

“We feel that we can open up all our movie theaters as safe, if not safer, than restaurants or other retail establishments that have been allowed to open,” Coleman says.

The National Association of Theatre Owners is petitioning lawmakers for another round of relief for cinemas, with partially forgivable loans.