Cineworld to close all its sites in the UK and Ireland

CINEMA CHAIN ​​CINEWORLD is scheduled to close its UK and Irish sites in the coming weeks.

The closures come as the release of the latest James Bond film was further delayed from November to spring 2021, the PA news agency understands.

As first reported in The Sunday Times, bosses will write to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to tell them that filmmaking has become “unworkable” as studios continue to delay. blockbuster premieres.

The chain of cinemas may not reopen until the end of the year or early 2021, the Sunday Times also reported.

The chain operates an Irish cinema in Dublin city center, which is currently closed due to the capital being under Level Three restrictions.

The closure of its 128 sites in the UK and Ireland will put up to 5,500 jobs at risk.

In July, the British government promised a package of more than £ 1.5 billion to help arts and culture industries that were forced to close earlier this year as a result of the pandemic.

Cineworld had reopened most of its cinemas in July when lockdown measures were eased in the UK and Ireland.

Daniel Craig’s latest outing as a James Bond spy won’t hit the big screens until next April, it was announced Friday.

No Time To Die was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was first delayed until November as a result of the pandemic.

A statement on the film’s official Twitter account read: “We understand that the delay will be disappointing for our fans, but now we hope to share NO TIME TO DIE next year.”

TheJournal.ie has contacted Cineworld to clarify plans for its Dublin cinema.