Cineworld PLC (LON:CINE) said it is looking forward to the release of Cruella and A Quiet Place 2 next week as they are expected to draw customers to the screens.
The cinema operator reported a bumper reopening weekend in the UK thanks to Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.
READ: Cineworld reports better-than-expected reopening as film fans return
Big chains like Cineworld and smaller rivals like Everyman Media Group PLC (LON:EMAN) rely on blockbusters and snacks to bring in money, so the hotly-anticipated releases this year will be crucial for their path to recovery.
Many have been postponed during the pandemic, even when cinemas were open, over concerns viewers wouldn’t flock to cinemas in fear of catching the virus.
Hamilton Fans: Movie released early (July 2020)
In The Heights Fans: Movie releases July 2021
Dear Evan Hansen Fans: Movie releases September 2021
West Side Story Fans: Movie releases December 2021
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In fact the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, is now scheduled for release in September after being moved five times.
Marvel’s Black Widow and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, which suffered a similar fate of repeated delays, are now earmarked for July and December respectively.
Also on the calendar over the next weeks we have Disney’s Cruella, In the Heights, Fast and Furious instalment F9 and Space Jam: A New Legacy.
“The cinema industry is celebrating the success of Fast & Furious 9 in China over the weekend, so Cineworld will be hoping that title will be also be a blockbuster hit once released in the UK and US in late June,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“The success of the cinema is heavily dependent on the quality of the film slate and there aren’t that many big films lined up for release until later in the summer. This suggests Cineworld will still have to keep its fingers crossed that the past weekend’s trading boost wasn’t a one-off.”
Shares in Cineworld rose 3% to 89.42p on Monday in the early afternoon, while Everyman was down 1% at 154.2p.