Grand Kornhill Cinema becomes latest movie theatre to shut down in Hong Kong
Grand Kornhill Cinema will close at the end of May – the latest and fourth movie theatre to put up its shutters this year in Hong Kong.
MCL Cinemas, the operator of Grand Kornhill Cinema, posted the news on social media on Thursday, saying that the movie theatre in Kornhill Plaza in Quarry Bay would close on May 28 due to the end of its tenancy.
The announcement comes on the heels of the closures of Newport Theatre in Mong Kok and Golden Harvest's cinema in Whampoa in April. Sun Digital, a modern cinema that was part of the historic Cantonese opera venue Sunbeam Theatre, also drew its curtains in March.
Last year, nine local cinemas closed as overall box office receipts in Hong Kong showed the weakest performance since 2011, according to figures compiled by Hong Kong Box Office Limited.
Total box office income amounted to HK$1.3 billion in 2024 – down 6.2 per cent from 2023, Hong Kong Box Office Limited said in January.
Located atop the Taikoo MTR Station, Grand Kornhill Cinema has five screens and 706 seats.
It opened in 2002 and underwent a major renovation that introduced an MX4D theatre in 2017.
Apart from Grand Kornhill Cinema, the MCL Cinemas chain operates 14 other movie theatres.
In the social media announcement, the cinema chain thanked fans for their 'continued support of Grand Kornhill Cinema throughout the years.'
Hong Kong's cinema scene has taken a hit since Covid-19, when restrictions ordered the closure of theatres for months at a time. Multiple cinemas, as well as major theatre chain UA Cinemas, have since closed.
The movie sector continues to struggle this year as residents increasingly seek entertainment options in neighbouring Shenzhen and other mainland Chinese cities.
To boost ticket sales, the Hong Kong Theatres Association held its annual Cinema Day on Saturday, offering tickets for HK$30, with senior tickets for morning shows available at a lower price.
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