Directors fear movie theatres won't survive pandemic

Director Clint Eastwood at a film premiere in Los Angeles last year.
Director Clint Eastwood at a film premiere in Los Angeles last year.
Oscar-winning film directors James Cameron, Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese have joined forces with movie theatre owners in an appeal for financial help, saying they feared for the future of the industry.

In a letter to the leaders of the US Senate and House of Representatives, they said the coronavirus pandemic had dealt a devastating blow to movie theatres and that without funds "theatres may not survive the impact of the pandemic."

The letter was signed by more than 70 directors and producers along with the National Association of Theater Owners, the Directors Guild of America and the Motion Picture Association.

The pandemic forced movie theatres to close their doors in mid-March this year.

Big chains including AMC Entertainment and Cineworld Plc's Regal Cinemas have reopened, with reduced capacity, in many US cities, but not in the biggest markets of Los Angeles and New York City.

Efforts to get Americans back into theatres have proved disappointing, and Hollywood studios have delayed the release of big movies like Black Widow and Top Gun: Maverick to 2021.

The letter said that 69% of small and mid-sized movie theatre companies will be forced to file for bankruptcy or close permanently unless help is forthcoming.

"Cinemas are an essential industry that represent the best that American talent and creativity have to offer. But now we fear for their future," the letter said.

Others signing the letter included James Bond movie producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, and action movie director-producer Michael Bay.

They asked Congress to redirect unspent funds from the coronavirus aid package passed earlier this year, or enact new proposals that would help movie theatres weather the pandemic.

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