Odeon, Cineworld and Picturehouse cinema chains SHUT DOWN indefinitely

Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s advice in his daily coronavirus briefing, the British public have been asked to avoid public venues. In response, some of the UK’s biggest cinema chains have announced their indefinite closure because of the pandemic. These include Odeon, Cineworld and Picturehouse, with Vue expected to follow suit.

Odeon tweeted: “Following government guidelines ODEON cinemas are closed until further notice.

“If you have pre-booked tickets online, these will be refunded automatically.

“For any specific questions, please contact our Guest Services Centre.

“We look forward to welcoming you back soon.” 

READ MORE: Cinema closures coronavirus: Is my local cinema closed over COVID-19?

According to the Financial Times, the cinema chain has said it could struggle to pay its debts as coronavirus may well cost Cineworld three months revenue.

This, in turn, would “indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the group’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

Mooky Greidinger, Cineworld chief executive, added: “Should conditions relating to Covid-19 continue or worsen, we have measures at our disposal to reduce the impact on our business including, but not limited to, capex postponement, cost reduction, in order to maintain cash liquidity.

“However we have highlighted the potential impact this could have on the group within our growing concern statement.”