Cinemas: How are they coping now they've reopened?

Lots of cinemas had to shut their doors to the public during lockdown.

While many of the smaller independent cinemas remain closed, larger chains like Cineworld, Odeon, and Vue have starting showing films again.

The reopening of cinemas has been gradual, but more and more branches around the country are now back in business.

But with lots of new film releases being delayed or postponed, what can we expect from cinemas over the next few months?

Will new films be released in 2020?

Lots of movies have had their cinema release date postponed and some have been skipped cinemas altogether, going straight to streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+.

The Pixar movie, Soul, was originally scheduled to be released back in June. It'll now be heading to the big screen this November.

Wonder Woman 1984 is another big movie that has had it's release date pushed back. It was also set to be released earlier this year, but fans will have to wait until October to see the latest film in the Wonder Woman franchise.

The Mulan live action remake was one of the most anticipated films of 2020. It's cinema release date has been changed several times with the most recent scheduled for July, but the film will now be heading straight to Disney+ next month.

Subscribers to the streaming platform will have to pay an extra fee to watch the movie.

Are cinemas under threat?

A survey looking at the impact of coronavirus on the industry revealed that 42% of cinemas were concerned about losing money and 32% were worried about getting audiences visiting again.

The UK Cinema Association (UKCA), which deals with matters relating to more than 90% of cinemas in the UK, said the impact of coronavirus is "definitely a concern".

James Connor, who is the policy executive at the UKCA, says it's been a challenging time for everyone in the arts industry, with theatres finding themselves in an even more difficult position.

"The situation is changing so rapidly, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, especially with changes to release dates," he said. "But cinemas are fairly confident that audiences will come back if there is new content."

Most cinemas that have reopened are showing older films like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games movies.

Chains like Vue have reopened for the first time since lockdown began

With many people keen to get out of the house after lockdown, reduced ticket prices did bring some film goers back.

Restrictions on audience numbers are also in place and so far, many cinemas say they've been happy with the number of people coming through the doors.

However, new movies will play a big part in attracting bigger audiences. Lots of releases have been pushed back to 2021 in the hope that things will have returned to normal by then.

Some experts have predicted that cinemas could end up being spoilt for choice because of the massive backlog of films ready to be released in about 18 months time. However, this will largely depend on whether coronavirus restrictions are able to ease in the next year.

Independent cinemas

Some independent cinemas are hoping for more guests once Oscar nominations come out early next year

Many independent cinemas haven't reopened yet and have instead been forming partnerships with distributors which will allow them to show more films online.

It's expected that some will begin to open their doors again in September.

Catharine Des Forges, who is the Director at the Independent Cinema Office, said many have been waiting to see if restrictions surrounding coronavirus will lift further before spending money on training and implementing safety measures.

Independent cinemas are less reliant on Hollywood blockbusters and many are hoping that by Autumn and in the run up to the Oscars and Bafta nominations, people will be keen to visit cinemas to see some of the contenders.