British film distributors scramble to salvage release plans, as cinemas in Scotland and elsewhere manage to stay open
Cinemas across England shut down today as the new national restrictions introduced by Boris Johnson take effect. Cinemas are already closed in Wales, as part of the “firebreak” lockdown, and in Northern Ireland. However, some UK venues are still open – mainly in Scotland, where a tiered lockdown system in still in operation. Cinemas in tier 1 and 2 districts, such as the Eden Court in Inverness, and the Playhouse in Perth, are still showing films, albeit under social distancing regulations.
As the ramifications of the new lockdown became clear, the country’s film distributors scrambled to salvage their release plans. For some, such as Curzon, it was an easy pivot to its own streaming platform. Others, such as Modern Films, are going with a “virtual screening” platform that allows the hard-hit venues to share in the revenue.
