More than 100 cinemas across the UK and Ireland are at risk after a major cinema chain filed for bankruptcy.
Cineworld filed for bankruptcy in the US last year, following struggles during the pandemic, and recently gave a bleak update on its future as the company struggles to find a takeover.
This has left the company's cinemas at risk of shuttering if the worst comes to pass.
Yesterday, the cinema giant said they had been approached by a “number” of potential suitors interested in a takeover.
But none of them were reportedly willing to pay in cash for the whole business - which currently languishes £5billion in debt.
This leaves all 129 cinemas run by Cineworld in the UK and Ireland at risk, even as they continue to operate and open as usual.
Across the globe, Cineworld employs around 28,000 workers across the ten countries it is in operation.
Even as its future remains uncertain the brand has said it hopes to recover from bankruptcy protection before the middle of this year.
The Sun reported the company said it had received a number of “non-binding proposals” for some or all of its business, but it stressed no decision had yet been made.
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.
Simultaneously it has said three new Picturehouse cinemas are meant to be opening soon in Chester, Ealing and Epsom.
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.
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.
