Since the publication of its quarterly update on 30 October this year, Kinepolis has been forced to once again close cinemas in some regions, following new restrictions aimed at containing the further spread of the coronavirus. Some cinemas have since reopened. Kinepolis is committed to keeping its stakeholders regularly informed on the current state of play regarding the reopening and closure of its activities in the different countries where it operates. An up-to-date overview is available at all times on the Group’s corporate website1.
The health of cinema-goers and staff continues to be Kinepolis’ absolute priority, and the Group places its full trust in the expert advice of the competent authorities in each region with regard to the duration of the closure, as well as the safety regulations for reopening.
Europe
Shortly after the Belgian (29 October) and French (30 October) cinemas closed their doors, the Dutch cinemas followed suit on 4 November. In line with the planned closure period of two weeks, all Dutch cinemas were given the green light for reopening on 19 November, returning to the previous situation with a limited capacity of a maximum of 30 people per screen. As of this week, all Dutch Kinepolis cinemas will therefore once again be able to welcome visitors, albeit for the time being with a ban on the sale of drinks and snacks.
The Kinepolis cinema in Switzerland (Schaffhausen), which reopened on 6 June, has remained open, with a stricter capacity limit of 50 people per screen. The three Luxembourg cinemas that reopened on 17 June, have also stayed open. However, since the end of October, they are subject to a ban on the sale and consumption of drinks and snacks, and have a capacity limit of 100 people per screen.
In Spain, the cinemas in Granada and Barcelona were closed again in recent weeks, due to the severe second COVID-19 wave in those regions. The cinemas in other provinces remain open for the time being, although the situation is being closely monitored.
North America
On 9 October, after seven months of being closed down, Kinepolis could once again open its cinemas in Michigan (USA). Unfortunately, the state ordered their closure again at the beginning of this week, for a period of at least three weeks.
In Canada, most cinemas in Ontario and Manitoba closed their doors again. In total, 20 of the 45 Landmark cinemas are currently temporarily closed.
As long as its activities are subject to closures and reopening under strict conditions, including capacity restrictions and the ban on the sale of drinks and snacks, Kinepolis will continue to optimally manage its cost structure and will align the staffing levels, both in cinemas and the Cinema Support Centres, as much as possible to the activity in the countries concerned.
About Kinepolis
Kinepolis Group NV was formed in 1997 as a result of the merger of two family-run cinema groups and was listed on the stock exchange in 1998. Kinepolis offers an innovative cinema concept which serves as a pioneering model within the industry. In addition to its cinema business, the Group is also active in film distribution, event organization, screen publicity and property management.
In Europe, Kinepolis Group NV has 56 cinemas spread across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Poland. Since the acquisition of Canadian movie theatre group Landmark Cinemas and American movie theatre group MJR, Kinepolis also operates 45 cinemas in Canada and 10 in the US.
In total, Kinepolis Group currently operates 111 cinemas worldwide, with a total of 1,081 screens and almost 200,000 seats. Kinepolis employs 4,600 people, all committed to giving millions of visitors an unforgettable movie experience. More information on www.kinepolis.com/corporate.