That's a great question! When will our cinemas reopen? This is pretty specific to one chain, as I love Baskin-Robbins and I love Cineworld...
I'm an avid cinema-goer and in March 2020 I went to see My Spy, a great, family friendly Dave Bautista movie which was super entertaining. Little did I know, within hours Cineworld would make the decision to close all of it's branches. There were rumblings that the cinema chain was going to plummet into financial difficulties, and may be unable to sustain it's business without the income from the entertainment sector which was now off limits.
In July 2020 we got news that cinemas, including other chains, would be allowed to open their doors once again to fans of film. I was ecstatic because after 4 months with no outings this was the perfect time for me to flex my social muscles and walk into the cinema feeling like a boss! I hold a black unlimited card which makes it clear that I'm a dedicated mofo. Check me out! In fact, I've had it for 9 years, since I was allowed to subscribe, which is based on my age. I'm sure you can all do that math. Cineworld reopened on July 31st, and it wasn't long before I took my chance to sit in those comfy seats, eating my delicious Baskin-Robbins ice-cream sundae, taking in the movie in all of it's big screen glory. There were measures in place to assist with keeping everyone safe, including customers sanitising hands upon entering the complex, having to wear a mask for the duration of your visit; unless you were eating or drinking which some pillocks took advantage of, and socially distanced seating arrangements. I managed to watch Unhinged, Tenet and The New Mutants before local lockdowns saw our cinemas closed once again in October. I was more than happy with the precautions that were being taken and even in a lockdown I thought it could be sustainable to continue with these, however 'twas not meant to be.
In November 2020 there was news that the Cineworld brand had secured $450 million from a debt facility, meaning that a lifeline had been found and the chances of closure were now slim. This was a symbol of hope, a knight in shining armour, our saving grace. I was excited for everything to reopen so that I'd be able to get outside and actually do something!
Current day, it's 2nd May 2021 and Cineworld has been shut for 7 months, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. The government allows cinemas to reopen on 17th May, along with indoor dining at restaurants, and other facilities that were not available to the public here in the UK. What can we expect once they open their doors?
Staggered starts and finishes - the cinema will be making sure that traffic flow in and out of screens easy peasy and can allow for social distancing, without the havoc that you could have expected pre-pandemic with everyone bunching up outside of their door waiting for friends, getting caught in the tide of customers from other screens.
Distanced allocated seating - in Cineworld all seats are allocated and have been for around 8 years now, so the only difference is that if you want to go with your friends you'll need to book all of your tickets at the same time. This is easy enough if you have the app, as you can "purchase" tickets for cardholders as well as your regular customers who need to pay full price.
Hand sanitiser stations - this is common in most leisure facilities anyways, but it will be pertinent that they have this near the kiosks, serving points and entry to screens. I normally bring my own anyways *hair flips*.
Extra cleaning of screens - if you have to wait a few minutes longer than you expected to get into your screen DO NOT FRET! They're just making sure it's squeaky clean so that there's less chance of transmission between customers and screenings. It's for your safety and theirs, so don't be a dick.
Plastic screens at till points - this is something we experienced when we had a short period of cinemas being open last year anyways so nothing new there, but just be mindful of the staff and the extra steps they have to take. Don't be leaning on the counter, sticking your hand underneath the screens and touching things you're not buying etc etc. Safety first!
Which movies can we expect to be released when our cinemas are open?
Cineworld recently gave a list of release dates, with a stipulation that some of them are US release dates if the UK dates have not yet been confirmed. It's a pretty exciting list, so buckle up! I've made it clear which ones I will be skipping off to see. Which movies are on your hitlist?
17th May 2021 – Nomadland
21st May 2021 – Peter Rabbit 2
28th May 2021 – Cruella
28th May 2021 – The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It
The next installment of the Conjuring universe promises to be as terrifying as those that came before it, with the return of paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren, however this time it's not a haunted house. The story will cover a possessed child and the real life murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Jackson, whose exclamation of "The devil made me do it!" made for a catchphrase.
4th June 2021 – A Quiet Place: Part II
This sequel from the Krasinski family sees Emily Blunt's Evelyn Abbott leading the family on a search for a new home, after an invasion of terrifying monsters reeked havoc previously.
11th June 2021 – The Father
25th June 2021 – In The Heights
9th July 2021 – Black Widow
Black Widow promises to disclose the history of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanova... if that's even her name! At birth she was given to the KGB, who groomed her and trained her to be an elite assassin. Once the U.S.S.R. dissolved the government decided it wasn't such a good idea for people like her to be out there in the world, and they tried to kill her! This movie jumps to present day (for this movie at least) and our feisty redhead is in New York working freelance.
9th July 2021 – Fast & Furious 9
Do I even need to explain this one? Cars that are fast, amazing stunts, outrageous things which clearly aren't possible but look good on screen, a lack of good acting but a great watch. Oh there's supposed to be a story? Lemme Google real quick... Dom is up against an unexpected enemy with the revelation that his brother; played by John Cena, is actually alive. Gahh!
30th July 2021 – Jungle Cruise
Emily Blunt stars as Dr Lily Houghton, a scientist in search of an ancient tree believe to have healing medicinal properties that could change the world of medicine. In order to reach the tree she must traverse the Amazon river, and enlists the help of Frank Wolff, a skipper with enough charisma and character for the two of them!
6th August 2021 – The Suicide Squad
I suggest watching the other Suicide Squad movie first, as there might be a few nuggets of information you'll need to know with quite a few returning characters including Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Rick Flag and Bloodsport; now portrayed by Idris Elba rather than Will Smith. This movie boasts plenty of new heroes, or villains you might say, with Blackguard, Peacemaker, The Thinker, Polka-Dot Man and more! Some great names amongst the cast, definitely worth perusing that IMDB page.
13th August 2021 – Free Guy
A guy working in a bank comes to the realisation that he's a fabricated non-playable character in a video game, and soon enough it'll be unavailable! See Ryan Reynolds doing his thing in this action comedy set inside of a brutal world controlled by others. Excited to see Jodie Comer of Killing Eve fame on the big screen again after her small part in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
27th August 2021 – Candyman
3rd September 2021 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Simu Liu stars as the Marvel Cinematic Universe' first Asian superhero. I'm not looking forward to the reintroduction of the Mandarin if it's anything like Iron Man 3, but a skilled martial artist superhero sounds right up my street! Though the trailer looks a little bit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with some shady wire work. I don't know how this one is going to fair, to be honest, but I'm intrigued!
17th September 2021 – Dune
I remember reading Frank Herbert's Dune when I was 16 on holiday in Greece, and there was an awful lot going on, so I'm hoping the movie will be easy enough to follow. Like Game of Thrones there are so many households to keep track of, and so many characters, it's like an ugly family tree! It's a great story though; somewhat like Mad Max, with people hunting for a highly desirable material. A phenomenal cast adds to the immense anticipation audiences are feeling ready for this movie epic! Fingers crossed it's better than the other adaptations...
17th September 2021 – Venom: Let There Be Carnage
That's right, now it's got a title you'll be as thrilled as I am that Woody Harrelson will be returning as Carnage, and I'm hoping this movie will be just that! With Andy Serkis at the helm of this project I see it being a hit with the fans. Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and we're introduced to a new villain with Naomie Harris starring as Shriek.
30th September 2021 – No Time To Die
15th October 2021 – Halloween Kills
29th October 2021 – Last Night In Soho
5th November 2021 – Eternals
A race of immortal beings, the Eternals, are the central focus of this Marvel movie. Was the title a giveaway? This film sees Oscar winner Chloe Zhao direct a stellar cast including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani and Gemma Chan. Kumail has mentioned that Chloe has refrained from using many CGI and green-screen centric methods in her film-making, relying heavily on practical effects and sets on locations rather than soundstages. It's rumoured to be a totally different style of movie compared to Phase 1-3 of the Marvel cinematic universe, and is set after Avengers: Endgame. This movie has been pushed back time and time again, so I'm hopeful that this is the final release date but who knows?
12th November 2021 – Ghostbusters: Afterlife
A lot of original Ghostbusters fans refuse to consider the female led release of 2016 a part of the lore. So Afterlife is the third movie in the franchise *eyeroll*. A single mother moves out to the sticks with her two children and in turn discovers a family connection to an original Ghostbuster. But what kind of legacy has he left behind for them? I'm most excited for the appearance of Paul Rudd, and a recent trailer's addition of the most harmless thing, something Stantz loved from his childhood, something that could never destroy them. That's right, there's mini Mr. Stay Pufts!
19th November 2021 – Top Gun: Maverick
10th December 2021 – West Side Story
17th December 2021 – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Now, this COULD be an absolute mess looking at the cast list. There are returning characters from Tom Holland's universe, Toby Maguire's universe and even characters from Andrew Garfield's universe. Doctor Strange is gonna be making an appearance so I'm fully expecting he'll be taking over from Tony Stark's father figure role! What excites me is the return of the villain Doc Oc, with Alfred Molina possibly allowing his lips to be a bit too loose after confirming he will be made to look younger with special effects - are we hopping timelines as well as universes, with a bit of toing and froing across decades? After all, Otto Octavius died in Spiderman 2 right? ! Maybe at that very moment he was saved, or plucked from time perhaps...
22nd December 2021 – The King's Man
Who thought I could be excited for what's being described as a "period, action, spy movie"? A lone man must go up against some of the most villainous tyrants and criminal masterminds to save the world from a plot which includes murdering millions. I don't know if I'm quite as excited for the third instalment of the franchise as I was the first two, but what I do know is that Ralph Fiennes is a great actor, and will be a perfect member of the Kingsmen group.
24th December 2021 – The Matrix 4
Initially I was apprehensive about another Matrix movie. I enjoyed the trilogy as it stood, and was okay with Trinity's death and everything else that went with it. So another movie intrigues me. I haven't the foggiest why it's happening, but of course as a fan I'm excited for it. The returning cast might be a tad confusing though, with Carrie-Anne Moss being included. Who knows where it's going! Keanu Reeves, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson and Daniel Bernhardt will reprise their roles, and exciting additions to the cast list include Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Lana Wachowski has had the set and those on it in a total lip-lockdown, with no clues to where the story might lead to - I'm thinking Jessica is going to play the child of Neo and Trinity, with some time-warping Matrix stuff happening.
And that's all folks! I definitely spent too long typing this article out, so please enjoy it for me. I've got my fingers crossed that these release dates stay put and the cinematic experience can be enjoyed in two weeks time because I am gagging for it. I'm gonna be sitting in the screen with my snacks and a MASSIVE drink that I'm gonna have to share with my better half because there's no way I can drink all of it without having to go pee mid-movie, possibly shed a tear of joy because I can go back to enjoying on of my favourite hobbies and of course be grateful that I'm able to do all of these things because not everyone is so lucky.
CB
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