Cineworld hails successful opening weekend as cinema goers return

Cineworld anticipates its recovery will gain momentum amid the releases of Cruella and A Quiet Place 2

Cineworld praised a “strong” opening weekend across the country and anticipates a continued recovery after cinemas were forced to close down for months due to the pandemic.

The cinema group said that Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway was to thank for its opening weekend success as families flocked to cinemas in droves.

Cineworld said that its performance over the weekend surpassed its own expectations as “customers were eager to return to the movies and enjoy the full movie experience”.

One week ago, on Monday, cinemas were officially allowed to welcome customers back after being closed due to lockdowns for over four months during the third lockdown.

Mooky Greidinger, chief executive of Cineworld, said the business anticipates its recovery will gain momentum amid the releases of Cruella and A Quiet Place 2.

“We are thrilled to have our cinemas back in business in the US and UK and to welcome movie fans back to the big screen for an exciting and full slate of films. We are especially pleased with the warm welcome our employees have received, and the positive feedback from returning guests,” Greidinger said.

“With the releases next week of Cruella, and A Quiet Place 2, we expect next weekend’s results to be strong. When combined with improving consumer confidence and the success of the vaccination rollout, we expect a good recovery in attendance over the coming months, noting the record breaking success of F9 in the Asian market.”

“We are excited for our customers to experience the magic of big screen entertainment again, all made possible by the hard work of our colleagues around the world, and remain committed to be the best place to watch a movie.”

The Cineworld share price is up by 2.96% to 89.39p per share during the morning session on Monday.