Cineworld breaking news

[Alan Plester]

Cineworld prepares to shut all its cinemas,breaking news. over 5000 jobs at risk very sad day for the industry.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Regal here in the States as well. But it makes sense to do it since there is now no product.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/03/polit...rus/index.html

Cineworld is shuttering all 543 of its Regal Cinema venues in the U.S. and all cinemas across the U.K. and Ireland this coming week, just a day after James Bond film “No Time to Die” was pushed to April 2021.

Variety understands from sources that the chain will close all sites in both countries as early as this week, with staff notified ahead of Monday. Regal is the second largest domestic chain in the U.S., while Cineworld is the U.K.’s biggest cinema operator.

In the U.K., Cineworld, which declined to comment, is understood to be writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden this weekend to explain that the exhibition sector is “unviable” due to studios delaying tentpoles as a result of anxious audiences steering clear of cinemas amid the global pandemic. The Cineworld closures will put up to 5,500 jobs at risk in the U.K.


Sources indicate a reopening date hasn’t yet been set, but cinemas could stay closed until 2021.

The swift move by the Mooky Greidinger-run chain, whose U.K. closures were first reported by The Sunday Times, follows Friday’s bombshell Bond announcement. Though there had been speculation that “No Time to Die” could move from its Nov. 12 and Nov. 20 slots in the U.K. and North America, respectively, many in the industry, including several global exhibition bosses, believed it would ultimately hold firm. Its new date of April 2, 2021, has come as a distressing shock to the exhibition sector, which is starved of vital blockbusters to bring audiences back to movie theaters.

It’s believed Cineworld staff had not yet been informed of the company’s decision to close as of Saturday evening U.K. time.

Cineworld Action Group, a collective of employees supported by entertainment union Bectu, tweeted on Saturday that “there has been no consultation with staff whatsoever.” News of the closures first emerged via a preview of The Sunday Times’ front page, posted late on Saturday night.



Cineworld’s shock move comes weeks after the company said in its half-year results that there was no certainty around its COVID-19 outlook. In a forward-looking statement, the firm said, “If governments were to strengthen restrictions on social gathering, which may therefore oblige us to close our estate again or further push back movie releases, it would have a negative impact on our financial performance and likely require the need to raise additional liquidity.”

In the U.K., Cineworld opened its doors after a four-month shutdown only on July 31. The company had planned to open July 10, but pushed its dates back after “Tenet” was delayed the first time around. In the U.S., Regal Cinemas began opening venues in late August, ahead of the release of the Christopher Nolan thriller.

“No Time to Die,” starring Daniel Craig in his final stint as the agent formerly known as 007, will hit theaters on April 2, 2021 — a year later than initially planned.

“MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, today announced the release of ‘No Time To Die,’ the 25th film in the James Bond series, will be delayed until 2 April in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience,” the filmmakers said in a statement on Friday. “We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing ‘No Time To Die’ next year.”

[Frank McLaughlin]

The problem is that by closing all of the locations the public is encouraged - read forced - to avail themselves of alternates - read Netflix - for entertainment. The enjoyment of a shared experience now gives way the solo individual safe behind the walls of their residence. After a year of this it becomes safe to emerge. The pattern and habit of years has become radically altered.

Now to the plight of the theater owners. They are only as good as what is on their screen. People go to a movie - not a theater.

The producers can not afford to drop tens of millions into product with little hope of return.

I was browsing the current content on Netflix last night - it is predominately original and exclusive.

Can we look back to 1918 and say just hold on in a while things shall return to normal?

[Leo Enticknap]

The producers can not afford to drop tens of millions into product with little hope of return.

Which brings us to the politicians. Correct me if I've missed one, but as far as I'm aware, there has been not one single case of C19 transmission, let alone the "super spreader event" about which so much paranoia has been generated, linked to a movie theater, since around 75% of the domestic market was allowed to reopen with precautions. It just hasn't happened. Yet the mayors, county supervisors and state governors involved have refused to let the two biggest markets - NYC and LA - reopen, even with those precautions. In the UK it's even worse, with regional lockdowns and restrictions being imposed and lifted at almost zero notice, such that it's pretty much impossible to run any business linked to the leisure industry.

The underwhelming performance of Tenet didn't help (it was the wrong movie to lead the soft reopening, IMHO), but the biggest problem is politicians, either through incompetence or for other reasons, sabotaging big sectors of the economy, and the leisure industry in particular. Airlines are another one - 40,000 jobs gone this week in the USA, and Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic said to be on the verge of going under in Europe.

The only sector of the leisure industry that actually has been shown to be a significant C19 vector is cruise ships, yet the politicians are dragging all the others under along with them.

[Steve Guttag]

There are two aspects of the government affecting our industry

1. Those that flat out have not allow theatres to open with other indoor businesses.
2. Those that have continued to place cinemas in a high risk group akin to sports stadiums where people are jammed in tight with one another. Instead we should be somewhere near air travel where, quite frankly, we have fewer covid cases associated with cinemas. While I'd would never claim there is no risk to going to a cinema, I do claim that all statistical evidence available points towards cinemas as one of the safer indoor activities that people can do now, for those that are comfortable going out at all. Government needs to stop being the boogie man and begrudgingly pointing to our industry as particularly unsafe.

With that, I'm happy to say that Maryland, despite being one of the last states to allow theatres to open (not THE last but in the Middle Atlantic area, we had VA and PA open before MD), the Governor of Maryland actually took a trip to one of our cinemas issued a citation and has posted a video of that visit and that theatre is doing actually well...despite the same miserable product choices to pick from. Government can either let the data direct their actions or they can let emotion of some, harm our (and other, of course) industry. I get that this is all new and many leaders have never been tested in this manner but if you believe in science (as I do) let the science guide you and as data comes in, respond accordingly...even if it means changing directions up to 180-degree (or π for metric countries ).

There is also a HUGE difference in presenting the data that Theatres are now showing themselves to be virus spreaders and declaring them to be impenetrable to the virus (any more than any other business, particularly indoor ones). But tell the truth or present the fact rather than outright scaring people.

For those that have Facebook accounts, here is the link of the short video (just music background, no talking) https://fb.watch/VKf9BodqK/

[Marco Giustini]

I guess it is hard to link a case to a place as the incubation period is up to 2 weeks. Anyways, I feel it's not just the auditorium: it's the whole trip. You take your family out and the little ones will need to stop for a wee, then you stop for food (and you queue etc), then since you're out you may wanna stop to that shop in that place to get that thing. The governments need to find a balance of freedom that we can get to avoid dire consequences.
The cinema per se may be safe - and I am not convinced about that - but it's the whole journey that undoubtedly causes more chance of spreading/catching the virus. My opinion of course.

[Leo Enticknap]

...but it's the whole journey that undoubtedly causes more chance of spreading/catching the virus.

In the UK, that journey is a lot more likely to be on foot and/or mass transit than in most of the USA, which I guess may be factoring into the politicians' fears.

[Marco Giustini]

Good point on the UK.
I'm curious, Leo, how did my name end up messed up in an automatic quote?

[Steve Guttag]

Leo is a Brit, at heart. They drive on the wrong side of the road and don't get me started with their excessive use of the letter "u." Marco, you are going to get what you are going to get from him.

[Lyle Romer]

I guess it is hard to link a case to a place as the incubation period is up to 2 weeks. Anyways, I feel it's not just the auditorium: it's the whole trip. You take your family out and the little ones will need to stop for a wee, then you stop for food (and you queue etc), then since you're out you may wanna stop to that shop in that place to get that thing. The governments need to find a balance of freedom that we can get to avoid dire consequences.
The cinema per se may be safe - and I am not convinced about that - but it's the whole journey that undoubtedly causes more chance of spreading/catching the virus. My opinion of course.

While the incubation period can be "up to" 2 weeks for outliers, the average is far shorter at around 5 days.

[Mike Blakesley]

All the science etc. aside, I keep thinking that the REAL reason the biggest U.S. theaters aren't open yet is because they're just not on the governors' radar. As an industry we don't contribute a huge amount of tax revenue like casinos and bars do.... we don't employ millions of people like restaurants do. NATO does the best it can, but they are probably a blip in the radar for Mario Cuomo.

Add to this the fact that state governors probably never go to movies and they all imagine theaters as being packed with people like sardines in a can, and you have a perfect recipe for them not giving a shit.

[Terry Monohan]

Looks like in San Francisco CA our brand new was soon to open Regal Stonestown 12 Theatre will never open in 2020. The new build will just sit empty for this holiday season.in the Stonestown Mall of SF.

Maybe some other movie chain that is open will come in and buy out the new cinema building and take over the long lease from cash strapped Cineworld/UA/ Regal/Theatres.

I was looking to our first for SF 4D & Screen X experience. Now It my be a Easter Candy2021. The mall gang needs rent money. Let's hope they don't kick them out and change the new cinema to retail space for the holidays coming up. Have a live Santa with a Xmas musical part movie with live entertainment in at least one of the auditoriums. The first time a Santa in SF will have a mask on in public!

[David Bird]

Mike, that's been my biggest beef as far as the regulations coming from on high, it seemed none of these officials ever actually talk with anyone involved in operating many of these businesses to even ask how they would or could operate "safely". And of course, you're right, many of us just don't produce much for them, we're off the radar. But as I like to say, every business is "essential" for those who operate them. It was, and is, criminal to say that Wal-Mart can be open and the corner store can't. Don't know about you, but if I was worried about any kind of sanitary issue, I trust the local person more. I also trust myself to not be where I don't feel they're doing the best that can be expected. In our case, we were flummoxed by not being allowed to open a drive-in theatre this past May, when we surpassed most of the safety measures in effect for all other businesses. It took 2 weeks of shaming the government in the press to get it done. We just weren't important to them. Of course, they came up with a whole set of restrictions to make it look like they'd studied it to cover their ass, but again, nobody actually talked to us. The restriction on selling food, again despite the fact we were adhering to the protocols for all other food sellers, never did get lifted officially, and eventually all drive-ins started selling food again. There was only so long you could ask why you were singled out without getting an answer before you simply relied on the more "global" guidelines. And we HAVE kept all staff and customers safe, we take that very seriously.

[Lyle Romer]

David, you said that all very well. I agree that it is criminal (and in my opinion unconstitutional) to treat different businesses differently. If you can adhere to the protocols and guidelines in place at Walmart or another food seller, there is no reason that you can't operate. Especially for a drive-in where you don't have the issue of an auditorium being different than a retail store.

Back in April and May, it was ridiculous (and I believe illegal) that I could shop "safely" in Walmart, Home Depot or a Grocery Store but I couldn't shop safely at a fabric store (for example) that implemented the same capacity limits and social distancing protocols.

[William Kucharski]

Back in April and May, it was ridiculous (and I believe illegal) that I could shop "safely" in Walmart, Home Depot or a Grocery Store but I couldn't shop safely at a fabric store (for example) that implemented the same capacity limits and social distancing protocols.

What was worse was how in Michigan and other states, it was OK to shop at a Walmart for groceries but not for garden seeds to grow your own food (or anything else a local government deemed non-essential.)