Hurricane Irma: Moviegoing Comes to a Standstill in Florida

The majority of theaters are closed across the state.

Moviegoing has understandably come to a virtual standstill in Florida because of Hurricane Irma, one of the most dangerous storms in history.

More than 175 multiplexes in Florida — nearly every major cinema — closed in advance of the storm, which slammed into the Florida Keys on Sunday morning and is expected to unleash widespread damage as it barrels up the west coast of the state. More than 6 million people have been evacuated.

By midday Sunday, one Hollywood studio executive said there was almost no one going to the cinema in the entire state, save for a few areas in northern Florida on the Georgia border.

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are waiting to see how much the catastrophic storm impacts It, the supernatural horror film that opened to record-shattering numbers this weekend. Warners' Sunday estimate for the film is $117.2 million, while rival studios put the figure at $122 million-$123 million.

Warners insiders are being cautious because of Irma, which could result in $4 million-$5 million in lost ticket sales. (Another wild card impacting the box office are Sunday's NFL games.)

Final numbers for It will be released Monday morning.

Generally speaking, Florida accounts for 6 percent of total box-office revenue.