More than 100 cinemas across the UK are at risk of closure, including the Fountain Park Cineworld and Cameo Picturehouse in Edinburgh, after Cineworld has failed to find a buyer.
The major chain filed for bankruptcy in the US in Autumn, following a difficult period due to the pandemic. Now, they've given an update on the future as they struggle to find a takeover, reports the Mirror.
On February 25, the cinema chain said they had been approached by a 'number' of potential investors interested in the purchase. However, none of them were willing to pay in cash for the whole business - which currently sits £5billion in debt.
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Across the globe, Cineworld employs around 28,000 workers across the ten countries it is in operation. While the future remains uncertain, the brand says they hope to recover from bankruptcy protection before the middle of the year.
The pandemic saw attendances to cinemas plummet to zero during lockdown and halted foot traffic for months after. This, according to the Wall Street Journal, was a key factor in pushing the company towards bankruptcy as well as the impact of deferred rent payments from the lockdowns.
After it received no all-cash offers Cineworld's shares plunged further. It has reportedly received proposals for some of its theatres - in central Europe, eastern Europe and Israel - but wants offers for the whole group, including the US and UK markets, its largest markets.
The chain operates 103 cinemas under the Cineworld brand across the UK and Ireland, with some moviegoers potentially fearing the worst. Edinburgh's Fountain Park Cineworld and Cameo Picturehouse are at risk, as well as many more across the country.
See the full list of cinemas potentially at risk below:
- Aberdeen - Queens Links
- Aberdeen - Union Square
- Aldershot
- Ashford
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Barnsley
- Basildon
- Bedford
- Belfast
- Birmingham - Broad Street
- Birmingham - NEC
- Boldon Tyne and Wear
- Bolton
- Bracknell
- Bradford
- Braintree
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Broughton
- Burton upon Trent
- Bury St Edmunds
- Cardiff
- Castleford
- Cheltenham
- Chesterfield
- Chichester
- Crawley
- Dalton Park
- Didcot
- Didsbury
- Dover
- Dundee
- Eastbourne at The Beacon
- Edinburgh
- Ely
- Falkirk
- Glasgow - Parkhead
- Glasgow - Renfrew Street
- Glasgow - Silverburn
- Gloucester Quays
- Harlow - Harvey Centre
- Harlow - Queensgate
- Haverhill
- Hemel Hempstead
- High Wycombe
- Hinckley
- Hull
- Huntingdon
- Ipswich
- Leeds - White Rose
- Leigh
- Llandudno
- London - Bexleyheath
- London - Enfield
- London - Feltham
- London - Hounslow
- London - Ilford
- London - Leicester Square
- London - South Ruislip
- London - The O2 Greenwich
- London - Wandsworth
- London - Wembley
- London - West India Quay
- London - Wood Green
- Loughborough
- Luton
- Middlesbrough
- Milton Keynes
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Newport - Friars Walk
- Newport - Isle of Wight
- Newport - Spytty Park
- Northampton
- Nottingham
- Plymouth
- Poole
- Rochester
- Rugby
- Runcorn
- Rushden Lakes
- Sheffield
- Shrewsbury
- Solihull
- Speke
- Stevenage
- St Helens
- St Neots
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Swindon - Regent Circus
- Swindon - Shaw Ridge
- Telford
- Wakefield
- Warrington
- Watford
- Weston-super-Mare
- Weymouth
- Whiteley
- Witney
- Wolverhampton
- Yate
- Yeovil
- York
- Dublin
Cineworld also operates another 26 cinemas under the Picturehouse brand:
- Ashford
- Bath - Little Theatre Cinema
- Brighton - Duke of York’s
- Brighton - Duke’s at Komedia
- Cambridge - Arts
- Edinburgh - Cameo
- Exeter
- Henley-on-Thames - Regal
- Liverpool - Fact
- London - Bromley
- London - Clapham
- London - Crouch End
- London - East Dulwich
- London - Finsbury Park
- London - Fulham Road
- London - Greenwich
- London - Hackey
- London - Picturehouse Central
- London - Ritzy
- London - Stratford
- London - The Gate
- London - West Norwood
- Norwich - Cinema City
- Oxford - Phoenix
- Southampton - Harbour Lights
- York - City Screen
Cineworld have been approached for comment.
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