Residents in High Wycombe have mixed feelings about the rumoured closure of the Cineworld cinema. 

The cinema chain, who has a theatre in the Eden Centre, filed for bankruptcy and went into adminstration last year, after suffering financial losses from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

It was recently revealed that the company are over £5 billion in debt, making it less likely that Cineworld will be bought out and continue to operate under a new owner. 

Cineworld venues currently employ around 28,000 workers globally. 

Some High Wycombe residents said they weren't surprised the cinema chain was going under, citing new television-watching trends as the nail in the industry's coffin.

Joanna Cooper said: "If they didn't charge so much, people would go. But you can watch anything on TV now, so it's another company lost to technology."

Matt Delahoussaye said: "The demise of the cinema started long ago. The cost of food and tickets just exploded, and the quality of the venues and the films shown divebombed.

"I'm surprised there are any cinemas still open if I'm honest!"

Robert De Souza added: "People still go to the cinema?"

But others were sad to see the film venue at risk of closure.

Ben King was concerned about what would happen to employees of the High Wycombe Cineworld branch.

He said: “It would be a great loss to the people employed by the cinema.”

Meanwhile, Alisha Khan called the potential closure “a shame” for regular moviegoers.

Some residents suggested that a decline in the quality of films being released had played a part in the cinema going into administration in September last year.

Andrew Rumney said: “Not surprised! Other than Top Gun: Maverick, there weren’t many decent films out last year!

“Me and my partner had the Cineworld unlimited passes for years but after only going three times and the cost of living, we cancelled our passes.”

READ MORE: High Wycombe Cineworld at risk of closure as chain goes bankrupt

Despite being the world’s second-largest cinema chain after AMC, Cineworld suffered significant financial losses after Covid-19.

While the chain’s 129 sites in the UK currently remain in full operation, a spokesperson from the company said on February 24 that negotiations are ongoing as they continue to search for a buyer.

They added: "The terms of any transaction remain uncertain, but based on the proposals received to date, it is not expected that any sale will provide recovery for holders of the company's equity interests." 

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