Late screening: Cineworld pushes back reopening until 31 July after film delays
Cineworld has pushed back the reopening of its cinemas in the UK and US by three weeks to 31 July.
The world’s largest cinema chain has originally planned to reopen its doors on 10 July in the UK, after the government gave venues the green light to start operating again from 4 July.
It said this was because of delays in the schedule of upcoming movie releases, with films including Mulan and Tenet having been delayed from July to August.
The delay means that Cineworld’s reopening will come nearly four weeks after competitors such as Odeon, Showcase, and Vue, all of which will welcome the public back on 4 July in some capacity.
Cineworld boos Mooky Greidinger said: “Movie fans around the world continue to be excited by the strong slate of summer films ahead, including Tenet, Mulan, A Quiet Place Part II, Unhinged, The Broken Hearts Gallery, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Greenland, and Antebellum as well as a special re-release of Christopher Nolan’s Inception on IMAX.
“Cineworld looks forward to welcoming these moviegoers back to our cinemas next month and believes that they will once again be immersed in the timeless theatrical experience they know and love.”
Cinema-goers will be treated to a slightly different experience when they return, however, as chains look to comply with social distancing rules.
Capacity limits on screenings, plastic screens at tills, and staggered film times to allow for extra cleaning will all become part and parcel of a trip to the pictures.
It comes after Showcase, which operates 21 cinemas in the UK, said it would be asking customers to wear face masks when they return.
Odeon, meanwhile, plans to open 10 cinemas on 4 July, with the other 88 set to fire up the projectors on 16 July.