Cineworld is planning to permanently close 25 sites, according to reports. The cinema chain is expected to confirm the closures when it announces a restructuring plan on Friday (26 July), according to Sky News.
It is understood that the number of jobs lost as a result of the closures would be "at least in the hundreds".
It has been reported that the chain will seek renegotiated rents on around 50 other cinemas, with the remaining roughly 25 sites untouched by the process.
Struggling businesses often use this strategy in an attempt to lower operating costs and help retain more of their brick-and-mortar estate.
The group, which also runs the Picturehouse chain, is among cinema firms to have been knocked by the growth of streaming services, delays to releases following actor and writer strikes, and the increased cost of living for customers.
It is understood that financial services firm AlixPartners is acting as an adviser during the process.
Other cinema operators could reportedly step in to take over some of Cineworld's sites.
Which Cineworld cinemas are at risk?
Here is the full list of all sites currently operated by Cineworld across the UK and Ireland:
1. Cineworld Queens Links, Aberdeen
2. Cineworld Union Square, Aberdeen
3. Cineworld Aldershot
4. Cineworld Ashford
5. Cineworld Ashton-under-Lyne
6. Cineworld Barnsley
7. Cineworld Basildon
8. Cineworld Bedford
9. Cineworld Belfast
10. Cineworld Broad Street, Birmingham
11. Cineworld NEC, Birmingham
12. Cineworld Boldon Tyne and Wear
13. Cineworld Bolton
14. Cineworld Bracknell
15. Cineworld Bradford
16. Cineworld Braintree
17. Cineworld Brighton
18. Cineworld Broughton
19. Cineworld Burton upon Trent
20. Cineworld Bury St Edmunds
21. Cineworld Cardiff
22. Cineworld Castleford
23. Cineworld Cheltenham
24. Cineworld Chesterfield
25. Cineworld Chichester
26. Cineworld Crawley
27. Cineworld Dalton Park
28. Cineworld Didcot
29. Cineworld Didsbury
30. Cineworld Dover
31. Cineworld Dublin
32. Cineworld Dundee
33. Cineworld Eastbourne
34. Cineworld Edinburgh
35. Cineworld Ely
36. Cineworld Falkirk
37. Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow
38. Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow
39. Cineworld Silverburn, Glasgow
40. Cineworld Gloucester Quays
41. Cineworld Harlow - Harvey Centre
42. Cineworld Harlow - Queensgate
43. Cineworld Haverhill
44. Cineworld Hemel Hempstead
45. Cineworld High Wycombe
46. Cineworld Hinckley
47. Cineworld Hull
48. Cineworld Huntingdon
49. Cineworld Ipswich
50. Cineworld Leeds
51. Cineworld Leigh
52. Cineworld Llandudno
53. Cineworld Bexleyheath, London
54. Cineworld Enfield, London
55. Cineworld Feltham, London
56. Cineworld Hounslow, London
57. Cineworld Ilford, London
58. Cineworld Leicester Square, London
59. Cineworld South Ruislip, London
60. Cineworld The O2 Greenwich, London
61. Cineworld Wandsworth, London
62. Cineworld Wembley, London
63. Cineworld West India Quay, London
64. Cineworld Wood Green, London
65. Cineworld Loughborough
66. Cineworld Luton
67. Cineworld Middlesbrough
68. Cineworld Milton Keynes
69. Cineworld Newcastle upon Tyne
70. Cineworld Isle of Wight, Newport
71. Cineworld Spytty Park, Newport
72. Cineworld Northampton
73. Cineworld Nottingham
74. Cineworld Plymouth
75. Cineworld Poole
76. Cineworld Rochester
77. Cineworld Rugby
78. Cineworld Rushden Lakes
79. Cineworld Sheffield
80. Cineworld Shrewsbury
81. Cineworld Solihull
82. Cineworld Speke
83. Cineworld Stevenage
84. Cineworld St Helens
85. Cineworld St Neots
86. Cineworld Stoke-on-Trent
87. Cineworld Regent Circus, Swindon
88. Cineworld Shaw Ridge, Swindon
89. Cineworld Telford
90. Cineworld Wakefield
91. Cineworld Warrington
92. Cineworld Watford
93. Cineworld Weston-super-Mare
94. Cineworld Weymouth
95. Cineworld Whiteley
96. Cineworld Witney
97. Cineworld Wolverhampton
98. Cineworld Yate
99. Cineworld Yeovil
100. Cineworld York
Why is Cineworld closing these cinemas?
In July 2024, Cineworld was said to be considering a major restructuring, which could include closures.
Restructuring allows a company to rework its balance sheet, restructure debts and release cash into the business.
It comes after Cineworld emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US late last year.
When a company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it means it intends to reorganise its debts and assets while remaining in business.
The company's shares also plunged almost 99 per cent in the five years to 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the enforced closure of its cinema sites.
Cineworld's UK then collapsed into administration on July 31.
When did Cineworld first open?
The first Cineworld Cinema opened in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in July 1996. A second Cineworld opened the following year in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
