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Cinemas in the UK are hoping that upcoming blockbuster movie releases in the winter will bring a much-needed boost after a quiet summer.<\/p>\n
Despite the release of the popular and successful Top Gun: Maverick earlier this summer, it failed to ignite a lasting resurgence for cinema.<\/p>\n
Since cinemas were able to open in the UK following the end of pandemic restrictions, James Bond\u2019s No Time To Die and Spider-Man: No Way Home, along with the new Top Gun film, were predicted to get the ball rolling in terms of recovery.<\/p>\n
However, ticket sales in the UK and Ireland are still almost 30% down compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019, according to the Guardian<\/a>. The box office has hit \u00a3690m ($800m\/\u20ac800m) in ticket sales, in part thanks to those blockbusters. However, streaming has hindered the interest in mid-budget movies, leaving seats empty.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, cinemas in the UK and the US introduced National Cinema day with tickets costing just \u00a33 to entice customers and families.<\/p>\n It proved successful and resulted in 1.46 million admissions<\/a> in the UK, about three times the number for a typical pre-pandemic Saturday.<\/p>\n The problems persist for cinema, with UK-based chain Cineworld<\/a> filing for bankruptcy protection in the US through a chapter 11 petition, after succumbing to almost $9bn worth of debt and lease liabilities.<\/p>\n The UK\u2019s third-biggest cinema chain Vue<\/a> is also struggling with financial issues, and is going through a major restructure. Equity holders have been wiped out across both cinema chains.<\/p>\n Major sequels to Avatar and Black Panther are due to drop this winter, with cinema chains hoping that it is enough to draw back the masses.<\/p>\n