Local cinemas continue to suffer as Hollywood pushes back movie releases

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Showplace Cinemas is asking for the public’s help to save their business.

Showplace Cinemas says in a post that the pandemic is taken a toll on local businesses, including theaters.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put movie theaters across the country at risk of going dark for good,” states Showplace in a post. “From small independent screens to nationwide exhibitors, our local theaters employ over 150,000 people and have formed a cornerstone of the American experience for generations.”

They are asking the public to fill out a form to Save Our Cinemas.

You can fill out that form right here.

The form will allow you to send a notice to Congress, asking them to support the RESTART Act, which will give movie theaters access to partially forgivable seven-year loans covering six months of expenses, a lifeline for theaters that have been left behind by existing loan programs.

“Hollywood is still pulling back movies now, Movies that were supposed to come out in August are pulled out and they haven’t even given a date. So we may not even be open until November, if that. When will people be comfortable coming back to the theater? That could be next year,” Mick Steiler, the President of Showplace Cinemas said.

Steiler says Showplace along with hundreds of cinemas across the country are in dire straits right now.

He says the loan isn’t a bailout but something cinemas can payback in a few years once everything goes back to normal.

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