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Cineworld, the world’s second-largest cinema operator, will shut down all its screens in the UK and Ireland next week, London’s Sunday Times reported on Saturday.
The owner of Regal cinema wrote to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and British Culture Minister Oliver Dowden over the weekend to tell them that the industry has become “unviable” due to the film studios’ decision to postpone big-budget films. the newspaper said.
The new James Bond film, “No Time To Die,” became the latest box office hit to be boosted next year as the film industry struggles to get back to business amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Cineworld declined to comment on the Sunday Times report.
The company, which began to reopen its sites in July, operates a total of 128 theaters and 1,180 screens in the UK and Ireland.
Cineworld is expected to announce its plan, which could put about 5,500 jobs at risk, as early as Monday, according to the report.
The release of “Black Widow” and “West Side Story” has also been delayed until 2021.
Efforts to get audiences back in theaters have been disappointing. While larger chains like AMC Entertainment, Cineworld, and others have reopened many locations, the crowd has been slim. Small and medium-sized theater companies have said they may not survive the impact of the pandemic. Reuters
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