Cineworld to close all its UK cinemas putting 5,500 jobs at risk

Commissario
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My local cinema is small independent at £3.50 a ticket and it’s not bad. I went quite a few times while I was off with my broken shoulder before Covid.

Now? You couldn’t drag me there. I have absolutely no intention of going at the moment and would happily pay to be able to watch the new films, Bond, Maverick etc at home.
 
Soldato
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Prefer to get new films on Blu Ray, and watch them at home tbh - big screen, surround sound, and a comfy sofa - beats sharing a room with randoms (some who can't stop talking or checking their phone) wins hands down! Prices were also a joke the last time I went, something like £15+ for two tickets, then a shed load for snacks and drinks.
 
Soldato
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Happily pay 20 quid to stream a movie at home. Studios are pretty much going to have to follow that model at the moment.

Disney did ok with Mulan.

Apparently 525 million minutes streamed in the first 3 days for Mulan on D+, 115 minute runtime, 4.56 million viewings @ $30 a pop, $137 million...still the physical release to come as well which will just about make it break even.
 
Soldato
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@chaparral, bit of a click-bait title no?

As @pastymuncher said, this is just another temporary closure bought on, as their CEO mentions, by the lack of (blockbuster) films and footfall.
The only real concern is the mention/rumour of redundancies (but with the possibility of rehiring after the temporary closure) but i believe Cineworld hasn't said anything officially.

Otherwise, AMC (Odeon) have said they have six months worth of (money) reserves but they're already reducing operating hours to try and counter the footfall issue and Vue are currently deciding what to do, although expect something similar.

Hopefully Wonder Woman doesn't get postponed again otherwise that could have a major knock-on effect for cinemas.

Do any of you guys still go to the cinema?

Yes as some films are better experienced in cinemas/IMAX. Although i can understand that others aren't overly bothered and will simply wait until they can stream/rent it.
 
Man of Honour
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What's with everyone complaining about prices of snacks? Cinema's stopped caring about what you bought in yourself in about 1996 :confused:


Our local very overpriced independant cinema has a strict policy of only food, drinks and snacks purchased from them may be taken into the cinema. Anybody caught sneaking food in will have it confiscated or banned from admission and I have seen people chucked out who have brought their own snacks in the past. Not sure where they stand legally on confiscating peoples snacks but there are big signs up on the walls stating these warnings. If only they clamped down on people using their bloody mobiles!!
 
Soldato
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The film industry themselves don't make it easy. Every time the movie is shown they take a fixed fee now, which isn't cheap (even though they pile about 15 minutes of ads in first). They need X number of people watching each showing otherwise it will make a loss.

Like the music industry and the BBC, they are way behind the times. Like Blockbuster who were still trying to rent out DVDs when streaming arrived.
 
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Soldato
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this is just another temporary closure bought on, as their CEO mentions, by the lack of (blockbuster) films and footfall.

Temporary yes, while still having to pay rent and wages and all the other expenses. Footfall into cinemas will not return to usual numbers in the short/medium term future and new film releases will also be more staggered or non existent for the foreseeable. Its a perfect storm, I doubt they can weather it for long.
 
Soldato
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Prefer to get new films on Blu Ray, and watch them at home tbh - big screen, surround sound, and a comfy sofa - beats sharing a room with randoms (some who can't stop talking or checking their phone) wins hands down! Prices were also a joke the last time I went, something like £15+ for two tickets, then a shed load for snacks and drinks.

It was quite timely but i upgraded my living room to a 7.1 Atoms setup last November. Coupled with my 65" OLED TV we really haven't been missing going to the cinema at all! I'm a huge movie buff and hearing of the closing of Cineworld is sad to hear. But they were getting extremely expensive here in London. £30-40+ for two to see a movie including food. Overall my setup has cost £4k and in the last 3 years it's already made a huge chunk of that back because before covid we were only seeing the major blockbusters at the cinema.

I have wondered if the home cinema industry has done well with people staying at home but i haven't seen any figures of sales of equipment.
 
Caporegime
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I did a few cursory calculations on post #126, Disney are probably going to just about break even, physical release will coincide with it going 'free' on D+ so that won't make much extra.

So seems like it wasn't a success.
That's great news if true. Last thing I want (and those with jobs) is for it to become profitable to go straight to stream
 
Soldato
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Apparently 525 million minutes streamed in the first 3 days for Mulan on D+, 115 minute runtime, 4.56 million viewings @ $30 a pop, $137 million...still the physical release to come as well which will just about make it break even.

My comment was more around a lot of people being unhappy that they're already paying what ~£8/month for access to the platform and then on top of that having to pay £20 to watch Mulan. Not sure if that was a one-off fee, or if you had to pay £20 each time to stream it. So big family where not all children are around at the same time and the parents might have had to fork out twice to watch the film...

So seems like it wasn't a success.
That's great news if true. Last thing I want (and those with jobs) is for it to become profitable to go straight to stream

Doesn't sound like a great success, but i think Disney's greed might have contributed there. Even if they'd advertised it as £20 to stream it, and you'll automatically get the digital version to keep upon release. Might have made people part with their money a little easier.

Our local very overpriced independant cinema has a strict policy of only food, drinks and snacks purchased from them may be taken into the cinema. Anybody caught sneaking food in will have it confiscated or banned from admission and I have seen people chucked out who have brought their own snacks in the past. Not sure where they stand legally on confiscating peoples snacks but there are big signs up on the walls stating these warnings. If only they clamped down on people using their bloody mobiles!!

I'm amazed they're still in business then. Why would you pay a fortune for a ticket to go to a cinema that will actually ban you for taking in your own food/drink. When you could just go to your local Cineworld/Odeon/Vue etc and pay a similar ticket price and take your own food/drink in. I'm all for supporting independent businesses, but if they exist purely to rip off the consumer, then they're no better than a big chain and should just cease to exist.
 
Caporegime
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My comment was more around a lot of people being unhappy that they're already paying what ~£8/month for access to the platform and then on top of that having to pay £20 to watch Mulan. Not sure if that was a one-off fee, or if you had to pay £20 each time to stream it. So big family where not all children are around at the same time and the parents might have had to fork out twice to watch the film...



Doesn't sound like a great success, but i think Disney's greed might have contributed there. Even if they'd advertised it as £20 to stream it, and you'll automatically get the digital version to keep upon release. Might have made people part with their money a little easier.



I'm amazed they're still in business then. Why would you pay a fortune for a ticket to go to a cinema that will actually ban you for taking in your own food/drink. When you could just go to your local Cineworld/Odeon/Vue etc and pay a similar ticket price and take your own food/drink in. I'm all for supporting independent businesses, but if they exist purely to rip off the consumer, then they're no better than a big chain and should just cease to exist.

Yeah they are asking too much when you will get it for free anyway.

I expect a lot thought that. I'll just wait a few months and get it for free.

People only pay for the cinema because its different to home. No way I'd pay 20 and get Disney plus. Anyone in my shoes is just lost revenue.
 
Soldato
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My understanding was you pay the one off fee and it's permanently in your D+ library.

However as @413x pointed out, most folks would either wait a bit longer until it's part of the library under a regular subscription or flat out pirate it.
 
Caporegime
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My understanding was you pay the one off fee and it's permanently in your D+ library.

However as @413x pointed out, most folks would either wait a bit longer until it's part of the library under a regular subscription or flat out pirate it.
That's another thing.
Piracy. There will be many who just pirate this. I don't believe you can see it without D+?

May be wrong on that.

For myself and gf it costs more to see it on d+ than to go to the cinema at that price.
 
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