Cineworld Group, owner of Regal Cinemas in the U.S. and the world’s second largest exhibitor, has reacted to Warner Bros’ bombshell announcement on Thursday that its entire 2021 film slate will debut on HBO Max day-and-date with cinemas domestically. In a statement, Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger said the company believes that wen cinemas make a comback, Warners “will look to reach an agreement about the proper window and terms that will work for both sides.” I understand Cineworld and WB are not yet in discussions.
Cineworld’s statement (see it in full below) is somewhat more muted than that of AMC boss Adam Aron yesterday who plainly slammed the Warner decision.
Regal cinemas are closed in the U.S. and Gredinger believes they will reopen in the first quarter of next year, “We need to see a change in the COVID situation and a clear lineup of movies,” he tells Deadline .
Cineworld’s UK movie theaters also still closed, and will not be reopening for Wonder Woman 1984 which releases there on December 16. Given the “current flow of product, it will not make sense to open our cinemas,” says Greidinger.
Here’s his full statement:
“Cineworld was aware of WB’s plan to release Wonder Woman directly to its streaming service, which has been announced at a time when our cinemas remain closed in the US (Regal) and UK (Cineworld). We are very encouraged by the giant steps achieved recently with regards to the COVID-19 vaccination process, which is expected to be put in place earlier than previously anticipated. This will generate significant relief for our industry and enable our cinemas to make a great comeback. We believe that at such a time WB will look to reach an agreement about the proper window and terms that will work for both sides. Big movies are made for the big screen and we cannot wait to reopen our cinemas in Q1 in order to offer our customers, as always, the best place to watch a movie.”