Cineworld - with 128 theatres in the UK and Ireland - say cinema industry is “unviable” as film studios postpone big new films like James Bond.
thetimes.co.uk/article/cinema… 1/4
‘The majority of its staff will be asked to accept redundancy, with possible incentives to rejoin the company when theatres reopen — likely to be next year.’ Cineworld do not expect cinemas to be back to pre-COVID audience numbers before 2023. 2/4
Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association: ‘The announcement is probably the most serious blow to UK cinema operators of a number of similar announcements over the past few weeks and will undoubtedly cause a significant number of cinemas to close again.’ 3/4
This is another blow to cultural life, leisure, the arts and also cities and towns. The cultural landscape will be utterly changed by Covid19.
Next year marks the 125 anniversary of the first commercial film show in Britain; hopefully we’ll have some cinemas left. 4/4
Cineworld also closing 543 cinemas in the US:
On cinemas, when I visited @wshed recently the care given to visitors was exemplary and the film programme - though much reduced due to the pandemic - was as wide-ranging as we’ve come to experience. It’s a difficult time for all the arts so please support where you can.
All important points about cinema exhibition and the arts and all sectors that ‘brighten our lives’ today.
Guardian on the Cineworld story: theguardian.com/business/2020/…
Basically confirms Sunday Times story. Whether they can reopen (and how many cinemas they will have if they do) is another matter. Films to show - and big films like Bond - are essential:
‘Movie studios are reluctant to release blockbuster films until they are sure that audiences will return – and cinema owners are unable to prove they can lure back audiences given the absence of blockbusters.’ theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/…
The problems that the Rio faces sums up difficulties but also optimism: Executive Director Oliver Meek ‘recalled that the 111-year-old cinema survived the 1918 Spanish flu when cinemas were shut for two years. “The public still wants cinema; it’s lasted a long time.”’
More on Cineworld problems here, including substantial debt:
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