From August 1 in Moscow and a number of other regions (in particular, in Tver, Blagoveshchensk, Kostroma, Kaluga, Amur Region), cinemas that have been closed since the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic will resume work. The capital's cinemas will be able to receive spectators, provided that the halls are filled no more than 50%.

In other regions, film screening establishments will also adhere to a number of restrictions recommended by Rospotrebnadzor. Thus, in all areas of cinemas, visitors must maintain a social distance. Tickets for shows will be sold taking into account the seating of viewers at a distance of at least one meter from each other.

Other measures include daily wet cleaning, as well as disinfection every two hours, wearing disposable masks and gloves by cinema employees, increasing the intervals between sessions, etc. Visitors are also advised to wear masks in theaters.

A season without blockbusters

Already on the opening day, viewers are waiting for several new products, mainly from independent distributors: the Russian-Thai comedy "Happy End", the family tape "Lassie. Homecoming ”, the festival drama“ On Infinity ”, the Franco-Belgian comedy“ #Yehere ”, horror films“ Sea Parasites ”and“ Mirrors: Incarnation ”and other films.

In the coming weeks, the premieres of the films "Emma", "Friends in Russian!", "Only God Will Forgive", "Train to Busan 2: Peninsula" are also planned. Several Russian novelties will also be released: "Merry Tours on the Black Sea", "Key of Time", "Pretty Woman in Strike", "Atakan. Bloody Legend "," Shadow of a Star "," Goalkeeper of the Galaxy "," Inadequate People 2 ".

In addition, in cinemas it will be possible to see films that were released shortly before the start of the pandemic, as well as classic films: "Psycho" by Alfred Hitchcock and "Needle" by Rashid Nugmanov.

Russian viewers shouldn't wait for high-budget Hollywood blockbusters until September. The first novelty of this scale will be Christopher Nolan's spy thriller Argument. Previously, its world premiere was scheduled for July 17, but it was postponed first to August 12, and then to the 26th. The film will be shown in Russian cinemas on September 10.

  • © Shot from the movie "Argument" (2020)

A week later - September 17 - the thriller "King's Man: The Beginning" will be released, and on October 1 the premiere of the fantasy "Wonder Woman: 1984" will take place.

Such anticipated films as Mulan and French Gazette. Supplement to the newspaper "Liberty. Wes Anderson's Kansas Evening Sun have been removed from Disney's release schedule.

Despite the relatively small selection of new products and the remaining restrictions, according to a study by the Film Foundation and the Wanta Group marketing agency "Kinozritel", 74% of the audience missed the thrill of going to the cinema; a third of respondents are ready to go to cinemas as soon as they open. There are especially a lot of people who want it among young people aged 18 to 24: from this category, every second plans to go to the cinema in the near future.

At the same time, the final decision of 70% of respondents depends on how carefully sanitary standards are observed in cinemas. About 5% of viewers will not go to the movies until the COVID-19 vaccine is available. Only 8% of respondents agree to go to a film screening under any conditions.

Most of the study participants (40%) admitted that when they watch movies at home, they primarily miss the big screen. A quarter of the respondents miss communicating with other people and 23% miss high-quality sound.

The most anticipated film viewers named the film "Mulan" - 33% of respondents plan to watch it. Also, more than a quarter of the audience are waiting for the films "Black Widow", "King's Man: The Beginning" and "Wonder Woman: 1984".

Not everyone will survive

Not all sites will be able to return to their work after the restrictions are lifted. In May, it became known that the Gorizont cinema was closed forever. The joint cinema network Cinema Park, Formula Kino and Kino Okko, which manages it, decided not to renew the lease agreement for the building near the Frunzenskaya metro station. The general director of the network, Alexei Vasyasin, said that the landlord was planning to increase the payment several times. This amount was too heavy for the network.

Many regional cinemas are also in a difficult situation.

Representatives of the cinema halls located in the Sverdlovsk region wrote an open letter to the governor. They said they were on the brink of bankruptcy and called on the government to support them and give them permission to open.

“Today we are ready to provide a completely safe environment for our viewer. Nevertheless, our opening is postponed every week. In conditions when almost all entrepreneurs have resumed their activities, the government is subsidizing the movement of citizens within the country, resorts are overcrowded, planes are flying, from August 1 it will even be possible to make a long flight to Tanzania, but we still remain outside, "the letter says. ...

The owners of cinemas in the Nizhny Novgorod and Kirov regions also declare their plight and turn to the regional authorities in the hope of financial support.

According to the head of the Association of cinema owners, Oleg Berezin, after the pandemic, about 20% of cinemas may not open. Potential losses of cinemas for the year are estimated at 50 billion rubles.