Over 40 industry members have urged U.K. Chancellor Rishi Sunak to support the U.K. cinema industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Christopher Nolan, Jude Law and others claimed the industry needs “targeted funding support” in a letter to the chancellor, according to a report published Monday by Yahoo! News.
40 film industry figures, including directors Christopher Nolan and Steve McQueen and James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, have written to the government requesting further support for the country’s exhibition sector. https://t.co/9aUsasXaTZ
— Variety (@Variety) January 18, 2021
“We recognise the support that government has already been able to provide,” the group said, according to the outlet. “But we fear that this will not be enough, with the challenges being most acute for those larger cinema operators who have not been able to access any tailored funding.”
“These companies represent over 80 per cent of the market, in many ways constituting its ‘critical mass’ and helping to drive the success of associated sectors such as film distribution and production coalesce,” the statement continued, according to Yahoo! News. “Without them, the future of the entire UK film industry would look extremely precarious.” (RELATED: 40,000 Jobs At Stake As Regal Cinemas Plans To Close All Movie Theaters)
The letter hinted that if the industry doesn’t get the support it needs, cinema won’t be the same again.
“We very much hope that Government will respond to this call,” the statement reportedly concluded. “UK cinema stands on the edge of an abyss. We urgently need targeted funding support to ensure that future generations can enjoy the magic of cinema.”
It’s completely awful to see the way coronavirus has decimated some of the best industries in the world. Entertainment isn’t something that we can’t live without, but it is an industry that brings joy to our lives. I hope that the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t change things so much that we can’t even enjoy movies the way we have been able to in the future.