The realities of the pandemic might also play a role. COVID-19 is surging in these markets. Moviegoers may be further worried about going to theaters, and governments might reinstitute lockdown measures that could force closures regardless.
If the closures take place, they could prompt large-scale job cuts. They would also underscore the importance of streaming movies during the pandemic. With theaters unlikely to bounce back until there’s a vaccine, digital releases might be the only way to see new movies short of lengthy delays.
We can confirm we are considering the temporary closure of our U.K. and US cinemas, but a final decision has not yet been reached. Once a decision has been made we will update all staff and customers as soon as we can.
— Cineworld Cinemas (@cineworld) October 4, 2020