Following the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus, Kinepolis was forced to close all of its cinemas as of mid-March. In the meantime, cinemas in various countries have begun restarting their operations and there are now concrete reopening plans in all countries where the Group is active. We wish to emphasise that the health of our moviegoers and staff remains our absolute priority and that we rely on the expert advice of the competent authorities in each country regarding the duration of the closure, as well as the modalities for reopening. In all countries, Kinepolis applies a strict safety protocol for visitors and staff, whereby respecting appropriate distances, managing visitor flows and adhering to strict hygiene rules are of utmost importance.

Europe
In the Netherlands, all 18 Kinepolis cinemas opened their doors on 1 June, with a limit of 30 people per screen as imposed by the Dutch government. As of 1 July, these restrictions will expire and the country’s social distancing rules will suffice.

The Kinepolis cinema in Switzerland (Schaffhausen) reopened on 6 June, followed by the three Luxembourg cinemas on 17 June. All 13 French Kinepolis cinemas opened their doors on 22 June, each respecting the limit of 50% of normal seating capacity.

In Spain, Kinepolis opened all its cinemas during the course of June. Valencia was first to open on 5 June, followed by Kinepolis Nevada (Granada) on 19 June, the Kinepolis cinemas in Madrid and Barcelona on 22 June, and finally Kinepolis Alicante, Granada and Alzira on 26 June. In Spain, the restriction to use no more than one-third of seating capacity continues to apply in all regions. This limit is expected to be eased to 50% in a subsequent phase.

The Belgian Kinepolis cinemas will reopen on 1 July, with a limit of 200 people per cinema screen, as imposed by the Belgian government. There is hope that 400 people can be seated per cinema screen as of 1 August (provided social distancing can be ensured) if the situation continues to evolve favourably.

North America
In Canada and the United States, the modalities for restarting our cinema operations are announced per province or state. The first Landmark cinemas in Canada, which are six cinemas in Alberta (in Calgary, Edmonton and Spruce Grove), reopened on 26 June. The remaining six cinemas in Alberta and all 13 cinemas in British Columbia will reopen on 3 July. Also on 3 July, the cinemas in Saskatchewan (Regina, Saskatoon and Yorkton) will be open to the public. The Landmark cinemas in the other provinces (Ontario, Manitoba and Yukon) are awaiting a perspective and guidelines from the local authorities and will remain closed for the time being.

In the US, the MJR cinemas in Kinepolis’ portfolio will be able to open with a capacity of 25%. For the south of Michigan (where all MJR complexes are located) – following the example of northern Michigan where the cinemas have already opened – we are expecting to reopen in early July.

In view of the gradual restart for individual regions and the limited staffing in the initial stage, Kinepolis will continue to carefully manage its cost structure and will gradually scale up staffing levels in the cinemas as well as in the Cinema Support Centres.

Eddy Duquenne, CEO Kinepolis Group: “We are delighted that we can once again offer film lovers in all countries the movie experience they have come to expect from us. I am convinced that people are yearning to enjoy entertainment together again, the ‘night out’ they have missed for so long. We will make every effort to welcome them back in a safe manner and to let them relax and enjoy the latest films, as well as cinema classics that we’re bringing back to the big screen.”

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 55 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 46 cinemas in Canada and 10 in the US.

In total, Kinepolis Group currently operates 111 cinemas worldwide, with a total of 1,079 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.