London’s iconic Fulham Road Picturehouse, which opened in December 1930, is being shut down after cinema chain Cineworld Cinemas decided to close a quarter of its theatres in the UK. Actor Hugh Grant took to X to share his disappointment over the closing. The Notting Hill actor shared a photo of Fulham Road Picturehouse and wrote, “Fulham Rd cinema closing after 94 years. Strangely unbearable. Let’s all sit at home and watch « content » on « streaming ». While scrolling. Miserable face emoji.”
This post resonated with a number of theatre lovers who lamented the loss of old cinema halls in recent years.
Fulham Rd cinema closing after 94 years. Strangely unbearable. Let’s all sit at home and watch « content » on « streaming ». While scrolling. Miserable face emoji. pic.twitter.com/NY2jo9R7TO— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) July 9, 2024
Coronation Street actor Michael Warburton also expressed sadness over the closure of Fulham Road Picturehouse and wrote, “Part of my Cinema-going history for sure and therefore damnably sad & infuriating in equal measure. Once these palaces are gone they don’t come back people!”
Part of my Cinema-going history for sure and therefore damnably sad & infuriating in equal measure.Once these palaces are gone they don’t come back people!(Totally echo @Leightonauthor’s thoughts re QT and the New Beverly in L.A. btw)— Michael Warburton (@TheMonologist) July 9, 2024
Award-winning broadcast journalist Terry Christian recalled, “Lived around the corner from a cinema as a kid – like something magic. We used to walk around and look at the stills of what was showing and imagine. Should protect them like the French do.”
Lived around the corner from a cinema as a kid – like something magic. We used to walk around and look at the stills of what was showing and imagine. Shoupd protect them like the French do— terry christian (@terrychristian) July 9, 2024
Many cinema halls are closing around the world in response to loss in profits. The rise in popularity of OTT platforms is mainly blamed for a reduction in cinema-goers. On top of that, many theatres have failed to bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic setback.
It is interesting to note that even though Hugh Grant has indirectly cited OTT platforms for loss of revenue in cinema halls, he is not removed from the film industry’s gradual inclination towards streaming platforms. For instance, his 2024 film Unfrosted debuted solely on Netflix.
Actor Tom Cruise is undoubtedly the most vocal champion of cinema halls. His film Top Gun: Maverick was set for a theatrical release in June 2020, but that could not happen due to the pandemic. Instead of releasing the film on OTT platforms, Tom Cruise waited for almost two years to release the film in cinemas on May 27, 2022.
In an interview with El País in May 2022, Cruise said, “Movies have to be seen in theatres. There you feel part of a community. I know the business, but I like the experience of making big-screen, long-running movies. Cinema is my passion. I always go to the movies when they come out. I’ll put my cap on and sit in the audience with everyone.”
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