Swiss cinemas open without blockbusters - and with a lot of unease
Movie theaters will reopen on June 6. However, they will have to show older films until further notice.
Hardly any other industry has been hit as hard by the coronavirus as cinemas. Sales dropped completely from one day to the next due to the closures and advertising revenue plummeted to zero (Werbewoche.ch reported).
On June 6, cinemas in Switzerland will finally be allowed to reopen. A safety concept is to ensure the health of guests. How the SonntagsBlick reported, one seat is left free on the left and one on the right when booking. In addition, the data of the moviegoers must be recorded so that they can be handed over to the FOPH if necessary. In some cinemas, snacks and drinks can only be purchased online or from vending machines.
James Bond doesn't get going until November
However, it is not these measures that are causing cinema operators headaches. It is probably more serious that the big blockbusters are missing. Until further notice - or until cinemas reopen in the USA and Germany. The last "James Bond" with actor Daniel Craig, "No Time to Die", should have filled theaters in the summer and has now been postponed to November 12.
How the Switzerland at the weekend the Pathé chain wants to counteract the problem by showing old classics such as Hitchcock's "The Birds" or Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus". The "Star Wars" series with all nine parts is also on the cinema chain's wish list, but negotiations with the rights holders are still ongoing.
Cinema or nature?
Those responsible are also concerned that viewers have become accustomed to streaming during the lockdown phase and do not want to return to the cinema. According to Pathé spokeswoman Giulia Griffin, there are two opposing trends - which one will prevail is unclear. After the coronavirus phase, some people primarily want to get out into nature, while the other group has had enough of Netflix and small screens and longs for events like the cinema.
The situation is also not overly optimistic in terms of advertising revenue. The marketer Weischer is trying to boost the market with promotional prices. It was already clear in June that the 2020 cinema year was likely to go down as one of the darkest in history.
