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Although it’s arguably much easier to recreate the atmosphere of a cinema at home than it is a nightclub or restaurant, that doesn’t mean we’ve been missing the rustle of the popcorn and the thrill of the big screen any less. But it looks like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for fans of watching movies in the dark in public. Indeed, one of the UK’s largest cinema chains has its sights set on reopening its screens come July.
Speaking to the BBC, Vue Cinemas’ chief executive Tim Richards talked of opening venues as early as mid-July and in time for the next Christopher Nolan blockbuster, ‘Tenet’, which currently has a release date of July 17.
‘We are trying to work with the government to demonstrate we are not like sporting fixtures and pop concerts,’ said Richards. ‘We can control how many people come into our cinemas at any one time – we have the ability to control the exit and entrance.’ He added that the group’s cinemas were preparing for every possible eventuality in terms of social distancing.
Many of London’s cinemas closed their doors by March 18, with social distancing becoming a big issue for the big screen. Opening up again in mid-July would mean closures of four months in total, a devastatingly long period for movie lovers that has seen releases as big as Bond being pushed back. But it’ll be even more devastating for London’s smaller, independent movie venues.
At the start of the crisis, filmmaker Edgar Wright called on movie fans to support their favourite local cinema by buying vouchers and memberships from struggling independent venues. You’ll appreciate having done so once that Nolan blockbuster reaches the screens of your favourite picture palace this summer.
Check out this new fund helping cinemas to survive.
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