Rushden Lakes and Sixfields Cineworld futures hang in the balance after cinema closure announcement

Cineworld has reported a £1.3 billion loss from January to June as cinemas closed because of lockdown restrictions
The nine-screen Cineworld in Sixfields, which houses a Starbucks, is among the closures.The nine-screen Cineworld in Sixfields, which houses a Starbucks, is among the closures.
The nine-screen Cineworld in Sixfields, which houses a Starbucks, is among the closures.

The Rushden Lakes and Northampton Cineworld screens are set to temporarily close, according to reports.

A Sunday Times article says Cineworld chiefs have blamed the decision to shut, which is expected to be a temporary measure until next year, on the postponement of big budget films in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Britain's biggest cinema chain, which has two venues in the county at Rushden Lakes and Sixfields in Northampton, is set to closes all 128 cinemas in the UK and Ireland putting an estimated 5,500 jobs at risk.

Cineworld at Rushden Lakes has only been open for one year.Cineworld at Rushden Lakes has only been open for one year.
Cineworld at Rushden Lakes has only been open for one year.

Bosses say the delay of the new James Bond film, No Time To Die, has played a major part in their decision making and they are 'drawing up plans' to close its UK sites as soon as this week.

The 100th Cineworld at Rushden Lakes only opened its 14-screen cinema at the £140m retail destination on June 28, 2019 before shutting in March this year because of COVID-19. The state-of-the-art screens there include and IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX.

All Cineworld screens reopened again in July with strict social distancing measures in place, including staggered film start and finish times, paperless tickets, hand sanitiser stations and computerised bookings.