The world's second largest cinema operator is in bad shape: Cineworld is apparently planning to close all branches in Great Britain and Ireland. The last hope rested on the new Bond flick, but it may be late in the cinemas.
According to a newspaper report, the world's second largest cinema operator, Cineworld, is preparing to close all cinemas in Great Britain and Ireland. Without possible box office hits like the new James Bond film "No Time To Die", the industry would not be able to survive, reports the "Sunday Times", citing a letter from Cineworld that was sent to the at the weekend British government is supposed to go.
The company, which operates 128 cinemas with 1180 screens in Great Britain and Ireland, plans to announce the plans on Monday. This puts 5,500 jobs at risk. Cineworld did not want to comment on the report.
Agent 007 was the hope for the cinema industry in this year marked by the corona pandemic. After cinemas reopened, viewers came back to the cinemas only hesitantly due to Corona requirements. Large chains such as Cineworld or AMC Entertainment have already announced that they will have to get money elsewhere because not enough is in the tills. Small and medium-sized cinema operators even fear for survival.
The postponement of the theatrical release of the new James Bond, which was actually planned for November, to the beginning of April 2021 is the latest setback for the industry. Previously, sequels of "Top Gun" with Tom Cruise or the successful series "Fast & Furious" had already been postponed to spring. Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" and the comic book adaptation "Black Widow" starring Scarlett Johansson are not expected to be released until next year. The film studios then hope for more viewers. However, some new films were not shown in cinemas at all, but instead broadcast directly via streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon.
. (tagsToTranslate) Economy (t) Cinema (t) James Bond (t) Great Britain