Sometimes I think about what it was like to go to Blockbuster to look for a movie when I was in high school and college. We would start at the Z section because movies were less picked over at the end of the alphabet. There were sections in the middle to find foreign movies, weird horror films and cult classics your stoner friends were raving about. I’m getting kind of sad thinking about it. We’ve always had movie theaters though, which were a staple of my youth and frankly my son’s youth. I’ve seen so many films with him.
Going to the movies is so much of an experience for me that I can always remember seeing every single movie. It’s only been nine months since I’ve been in a theater and it feels like forever. It very well may be, because Regal cinemas, the second largest chain in the US, is about to close all its locations in the US and the UK. They’ve of course been struggling but instead of continuing to bleed money they’re expected to shut down at least until 2021. Variety has this news, which Cineworld, Regal’s parent company, partially confirms. They say no final decision has been made but they’re considering it. This is somewhat in response to the new Bond movie, No Time to Die, being pushed to April of next year.
Cineworld could shutter 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.
On Sunday afternoon U.K. time, Cineworld confirmed that it is “considering the temporary closure” of its U.K. and U.S. cinemas, but that a final decision hasn’t yet been reached.
Variety understands that staff were informed of Cineworld’s plans on Sunday — ahead of the company’s statement — with HR explaining that the closure of all cinemas is “one option that is strongly being considered,” though a decision hasn’t yet been made.
Variety understands from sources that the chain may close all sites in both countries as early as this week. Regal is the second largest domestic chain in the U.S., while Cineworld is the U.K.’s biggest cinema operator.
This is a safe and logical business decision, but it’s emotional for me. I’m not going to the movies at this time and I think it’s smart that they don’t stay open, but it still hurts. Even though this is supposedly temporary I’m imagining many theaters closing for good and am actually crying now. I still remember the first movies I saw in the theater, The Wiz and Grease. I was five years old when both of those came out but I still have memories of seeing them. It may seem ridiculous to cry over movie theaters closing, but I love experiencing films on the big screen so much. I’ve gone to the drive in and I love it there too but it’s just not the same. I just hope we get a vaccine and we can get some semblance of our old lives back. Movie theaters are a huge part of that to me.
I’m a Regal Crown Club member and the last email I received from them was on October 1 for $5 tickets to Hocus Pocus and “Clique Flicks” aka awesome movies for groups of women including Girls’ Trip, Crazy Rich Asians and Bridesmaids. I haven’t seen any of my girlfriends other than over Zoom since March. Hocus Pocus, the 1993 movie that’s been playing on TV and is streaming on Disney +, was the number two movie at the box office this weekend.
We can confirm we are considering the temporary closure of our U.K. and US cinemas, but a final decision has not yet been reached. Once a decision has been made we will update all staff and customers as soon as we can.
— Cineworld Cinemas (@cineworld) October 4, 2020
Photos credit: Ronny Coste, Frankie Valentine and Jake Hills via Unsplash
As a child and as a teenager, cinemas were my safe place, where magic could happen.
For my daugther (15 years old now) as well).
It was a real place to visit and most important – you need to go out to get there.
And leaving your own place from time to time can be a healer.
Now: Streaming? Netflix? Amazon Prime and all the others?
You don´t need to leave your house.
You don´t need to follow the story as intended – you can skip parts or play them again.
You can just fast food these dreams….
I may be silly with all the world wide problems right now.
But this really makes me sad.
This makes me so sad, too! Out of all the things I haven’t been able to do since March, I miss going to the cinema the most.
It is just pure escapism and although streaming services are great they will never equal the cinema experience 😢
This makes me sad too. Movies in the theater give us fantasy and distraction, a two hour break from life that can be enjoyed alone or with others. What a bad time to lose that.
The last movie I saw in theaters was Emma the first week of March — I got it in just in time before everything closed down (at the time, even though we were talking about COVID a bit, I don’t think I realized just how serious it was…and yet a week or two later I started staying home all the time and have pretty much been in that state ever since. Crazy how rapidly things changed in the early days of the virus). I went by myself on a weekday to treat myself for my birthday and I’m so glad I did. I had so much fun and really savored it.
I miss movies theaters horribly; going to the movies is one of my favorite activities. I know some people would rather watch new movies in the comfort of their own homes, but the experience of seeing a movie I’m excited about on the big screen makes my heart explode a little bit. The excitement, the smell of movie popcorn, the big comfy seats — it feels special every single time. My preferred theater is a Regal. I hope this really is just temporary and they’re able to reopen once there’s a vaccine. The thought of so many theaters closing permanently is too sad.
Makes sense. I wouldn’t set foot in a theatre until at least 2021 and assume that I’m in the majority. Regal will be fine in the long run. I am much more concerned for the mom and pop theatres who have only the one and were barely making money as it was.