Movie theater owners struggle as Hollywood continues to delay releases

Movie theater owners will have to wait a little while longer to start filling seats with patrons wanting to see the next big blockbuster, as movie studios announce another round of delays caused by the pandemic.

News 12 Staff

Jan 23, 2021, 12:45 AM

Updated 1,356 days ago

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Movie theater owners will have to wait a little while longer to start filling seats with patrons wanting to see the next big blockbuster, as movie studios announce another round of delays caused by the pandemic.
Among them is Daniel Craig’s last turn as 007. The James Bond franchise’s “No Time To Die” has been postponed a third time, from April to October.
Theater owners say that capacity limits in their theaters that New Jersey put into place, plus dwindling releases mean that they have a tough year ahead of them.
“I’ve decided to keep it closed, because to open, I would run much more expense and would have to cover my costs, run more utility, run more payroll, run more inventory,” says Cranford Theater owner Doreen Sayegh. “So I’ve chosen to keep my theater closed right now.”
Under the COVID-19 stimulus packages signed last year, movie theaters are eligible for government grants to cover a large share of losses. But applications for that aid have not yet opened.