“No time to die” – there could hardly have been a more suitable title for the new James Bond film for the long-suffering cinema industry. The retired British secret agent doesn’t just appear on screen as a savior on his latest mission. Outside of the halls, Bond is also celebrated as the savior, albeit for different reasons: the blockbuster attracted more than three million visitors to German cinemas in the first 14 days alone. As the Main Association of German Film Theaters (HDF) announced euphorically, this had not happened since the beginning of the pandemic. After more than one and a half years of restrictions and a temporary closure of eight months, James Bond finally delivers a long-awaited success story to the movie theaters.
Markus Eisele, co-managing director of the Munich cinemas Arena, Monopol and Rio-Filmpalast, is also happy about the rescue operation from 007: “It came exactly right.” The film joins “Dune”, “Venom” or “The French Dispatch” in a strong program that at least sweetens this year’s start of the cinema season for the operators. With the “hyped films” it just works, says Eisele. October is again on the average of a normal October this year.
Matthias Stolz, head of the Museum-Lichtspiele, is also satisfied with the start of the season. After a slow start, it has now become significantly better thanks to some popular films. Stolz says he had major concerns at the beginning: After eight months of weaning, do people still feel like going to the cinema? The answer: yes, you feel like it. “Fortunately, I had to be taught better,” he admits. Like other operators, pride can feel the enthusiasm of the audience about the new start.
“Economically difficult to drive permanently with a two-thirds capacity”
This is accompanied by the 3G regulation that has been in force since the beginning of October, which provides both the operators and the spectators with a clear hygiene concept. Only those who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered from an infection or tested negative are allowed to go to the cinema. The cinemas are also free to apply the 3-G-plus rule, in which rapid antigen tests are not sufficient and a negative PCR test must be presented. Then the masks are allowed to fall inside and the halls can also be fully occupied.
“Except for maybe Friday or Saturday evenings, it’s never really full”: Queue in front of the Rio Palace on Rosenheimer Platz.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Arena, Monopol and Rio have also decided to take this step. “Most of the guests want to experience a visit to the cinema as normal as possible again,” says co-managing director Eisele. That means being able to watch a two- or even three-hour film without a mask. The 3-G plus rule also applies to the museum light shows, but around half leave their masks on, reports cinema boss Stolz. In spite of all the euphoria, visitors can still feel certain concerns.
As a result, many operators are still holding back when it comes to the capacity utilization of the halls. The museum light games always leave at least 20 percent of the seats free, and Eisele also plans to move empty seats between different groups as best he can. The question of full utilization is currently not an issue anyway: “Except for maybe Friday or Saturday evenings, it is never really full.”
The big cinemas are different: The Cinemaxx at the Isartor, the Cineplex in Neufahrn and also the Mathäser-Filmpalast at the Stachus have deliberately not introduced the 3-G-plus regulation. In the halls it is still compulsory to wear a mask. In view of the high incidences, this was “a decision for the guests”, argues Gregory Theile. Theile is the managing partner of Kinopolis GmbH and is therefore also responsible for Mathäser. There they still adhere to the safety clearances in the cinema – even if it is “economically difficult to drive permanently with a two-thirds capacity.”
The general satisfaction with the successful start of the season is therefore clouded by a certain skepticism. Nobody can predict what the coming months will be like. The question of whether additional measures will be taken to contain the pandemic in winter is crucial for cinema operators.
And that’s exactly what the program ultimately depends on, as Stolz explains. Because if politics puts new restrictions on the cultural scene, it could very well be that the film distributors withhold their best titles and wait for better times. That would be fatal for the movie theaters, which are more dependent than ever on blockbusters. “Nobody comes to the cinema because of the good popcorn,” explains Stolz. In the period between October and March, the cinemas have to build up a financial buffer that will bring them over the summer. There are serious doubts among the operators about whether this will succeed in the coming months. In order to dispel that, James Bond should be happy to return from retirement a second time.