The pandemic has been really tough on cinemas since social gathering is prohibited since last year. Continuous-wave of COVID-19 in Hollywood nation made it worst for cinemas to survive. Despite the timid signs of recovery of the sector, the country continues to count COVID-related devastation. As the situation goes on, California’s 300 cinemas from ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theaters Networks have decided to shut down permanently.
Since last year the entire cinema sector has been paralyzed and they definitively needed to close their doors, due to the surge of a global pandemic. The news is all the more dramatic as it comes after theaters were authorized to reopen on March 15 in Los Angeles, with gauges at 25% until June 15.
The cinema giant announced in a press release saying,
“After closing our doors more than a year ago, today we have to announce the difficult and sad news: Pacific will not reopen its ArcLight and Pacific Theaters cinemas,” said the parent company of the two chains, Decurion Corp. From the board, the spokesperson specifies that “this was not the desired result”, but that “the company does not have a viable solution”. They have also spoken about employees to show gratitude: “To all of the Pacific and ArcLight employees who have dedicated their professional lives to making our theaters the best places in the world to see movies: We appreciate your service and dedication to our customers. To our guests and members of the film industry who have made cinema such a magical experience over the years: our sincere thanks. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you.” (Source: ArcLight Website)
Among the closed cinemas, some remain the film industry’s biggest and most popular theaters, including the iconic Cinerama Dome. The Cinerama Dome hosted the premieres of Melrose Place and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
With the news of this shutdown a lot of movie goers and film personalities has showed their grieve on social media. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood show “her extreme sadness”. The writer Matt Oswalt even appealed for help saying: “Tarantino saved the New Beverly, hoping that someone can save the ArcLight.”
This news has made a lot of moviegoers showed their condolences through different social media. Just a sigh, nothing to do in this history-defining pandemic.
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