Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, said it is considering temporarily closing its 543 U.S. theaters amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The company is also considering closing all venues in Ireland and the U.K., Variety reported Saturday.
Cineworld confirmed the news of the closures Sunday afternoon.
The entertainment company said the temporary closure is a consideration, but “a final decision has not yet been reached.”
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
“We will update all staff and customers as soon as we can,” the company said.
Variety’s report came just one day after filmmakers announced the newest James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” won’t be released until April 2021. The film was initially supposed to be released in the U.S. in April 2020 and was first pushed back to November.
Theater sales have suffered as other films have pushed release dates, like Christopher Nolan’s “Tenent," and others, such as “Mulan,” have gone straight to streaming services. Movie-going in general has declined as people have chosen to avoid spaces meant for large numbers of people to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Both factors forced many theaters to close, and Regal theaters in some areas recently reopened in August after temporarily closures.
Variety reported the extended closures could begin as soon as this week.
It’s unclear when in 2021 Cineworld would reopen shuttered theaters.
Regal Cinemas is second only to AMC Theaters in the U.S. as the largest movie theater chain.
Cox Media Group
