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Edith Lin

Jess Ma

A wave of cinema shutdowns in Hong Kong will have a knock-on effect on the entire movie business, an industry veteran has warned, attributing the demise to changing consumer patterns and the lacklustre economy.
Filmmaker Tenky Tin Kai-man told the Post on Thursday that the closure of the seventh cinema so far this year would not only undermine the competitiveness of the industry, but also Hong Kong’s image as an international city.
MCL’s branch in Plaza Hollywood, Diamond Hill, closed its curtain for the final time on Thursday night, leaving just 15 outlets operating under the company.
“With fewer cinemas, it is more difficult to schedule movies and affect the return of our costs … Even if we have two more blockbusters, we don’t have sufficient cinemas for them,” Tin said.
“People in the industry will lose their jobs or change jobs. Then, the Hong Kong movie industry is over and loses its competitiveness.
“Without having [movies as] the talk of the town or chances to create its reputation, how can Hong Kong attract others as an international city?”


Two housewives surnamed Ho and Chan, both in their 30s, said they were surprised by the MCL shutdown.
“It is definitely a shame,” Chan said. “We usually hang out and kill time in this mall after we’ve sent our kids to tutorial classes and would watch a film or two here every now and then. We have one less form of entertainment.”
The wave of closures started in April with President Theatre in Causeway Bay and Golden Harvest’s GH Kai Tak.
Other cinemas that have shut include Cine-Art House in Kowloon City, MCL cinema at South Horizons, Cinema City at Langham Place and The Metroplex at Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre.
According to Hong Kong Box Office Ltd, ticket sales in 2023 reached HK$1.43 billion (US$183.9 million), 25.4 per cent higher than in 2022. But the 2023 figure accounted for only 72 per cent of that achieved in 2015, a record year.
Ticket sales for the first half of this year – including domestic and international films – stood at HK$640 million, a 17.1 per cent drop on the same period last year.
Despite this, Hong Kong has seen some local production break records in recent months.


The Last Dance, a drama set around Hong Kong’s funeral trade and family traditions, opened in cinemas last month and quickly became the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong, with its box office earning HK$130 million, as of Wednesday.
The previous record was set by 2023 court drama A Guilty Conscience, which grossed HK$121.79 million locally.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In was another commercial success, earning more than HK$100 million since hitting the cinemas in May.
Apart from that film, the box office take for each of the other top four local productions and five best-performing international films ranged between HK$14 million to HK$37 million between January and June.
Tin said that traditional peak seasons, such as summer holidays, were no longer lucrative given the change in consumption patterns.
According to Hong Kong Box Office Ltd, ticket sales between July and August – including for domestic and international films – reached just HK$277 million, a 18.2 per cent drop on the same period last year.


Tin observed that operators faced rental pressure while not knowing when the next blockbuster would come, prompting them to cease operation instead of renewing contracts that could last for years.
But Tin said cinemas might reopen when the market improves but it would take a longer time for the industry to recover.
Vera Yuen Wing-han, a lecturer of economics at the University of Hong Kong, said residents would minimise their expenses given the underperforming economy, while the pool of filmgoers was also shrinking as residents headed north to spend.
Yuen did not think the situation would improve as movie ticket prices were not likely to fall, noting that the operators could consider screening more concerts of international popstars and renting their theatres for fans’ meetings.
Under the new market trend, Tin predicted the movie industry would reduce the number of productions and back only those projects that would become big hits. Such an elitist approach could undercut the diversity of local productions, which could become a problem for Hong Kong movies, he added.
But Tin said he hoped the industry could continue to make a range of films so audiences would have more options to choose from when heading to the cinema.
He urged the government to speed up the vetting process for movie production subsidies, while audiences could do their part to help creativity flourish.
“In the old days, no one would ask you whether it is politically correct or breaching any law,” Tin said. “Now, people easily speculate and affect creativity.”
Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said the city needed more box office darlings like The Last Dance to lure audiences back to the cinema in the age of streaming.
“Hong Kong films could use the route taken by The Last Dance to explore new topics, and stay away from renewing old ideas, which would look like making the tenth Mission Impossible or another James Bond film,” Tien said.
The lawmaker urged the film industry to ditch expensive sets and established superstars to make way for more creative ideas from young filmmakers that could engage the public and get them into cinemas.


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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong cinema closures will have knock-on effect for industry, experts say

MCL’s branch in Plaza Hollywood, Diamond Hill, closed its curtain for the final time on Thursday night, leaving just 15 outlets operating under the company. Photo:  Sam Tsang

Hong Kong cinema chain MCL’s Diamond Hill branch likely to close on Friday

The venue is part of the MCL Cinemas Plus+ brand, which was established in 2022 under Emperor Group and Multiplex Cinema Limited of Lai Sun Group. Photo: Sam Tsang

A check by the Post found the cinema at Plaza Hollywood was the only MCL branch to have published its screenings just up to Thursday. Photo: Handout

President Theatre in Causeway Bay closed its doors in April. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

End near for another Hong Kong cinema as industry leader says uncertain times ahead

The company says the last day for the Kowloon City Plaza outlet will be August 26. Photo: May Tse

A still from box-office smash “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”. Photo: Entertaining Power Co Limited

News

Hong Kong

Closure of seventh cinema this year will not only undermine competitiveness of industry, but also Hong Kong’s image as an international city, they say


Closure of seventh cinema this year will not only undermine competitiveness of industry, but also Hong Kong’s image as an international city, they say.


Cinema

Hong Kong cinema