Cineworld site in Castleford issues statement after closure announcement amid restructuring efforts
Cineworld has issued a message to its Castleford customers following the confirmation of its closure as part of an ongoing company restructure.
Cineworld revealed the closure of six sites - including the one at Xscape in Castleford - yesterday after completing a major financial overhaul launched earlier this year. In July, it closed five locations as part of this restructuring.
A message to customers has been shared on the Cineworld Castleford Facebook page saying that the 14-screen cinema will close on January 19, 2025.
The message reads: “Unlimited members will be contacted separately in the coming days with details about options to transfer to another Cineworld site or cancel memberships.
“Thank you to all of you movie-loving customers for choosing us over the years. We hope you continue to enjoy watching movies at one of our nearby cinemas of Wakefield or Leeds.”
Javier Sotomayor, president of Cineworld International said that the company’s restructuring plan will “protect thousands of jobs” across the UK and provides financial stability.
He said: “This milestone sets the stage for a brighter future, enabling Cineworld to continue sharing joy in communities across the UK for many years to come.”
Cineworld has not specified how many jobs will be affected by the latest round of closures.
The newly announced closures will affect the following sites:
The business, which is part of the world’s second-largest cinema chain, has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic as audiences have failed to return to previous levels.
Earlier this year, Cineworld closed sites in Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate, and Swindon Circus.
PR representatives of the company denied media speculation at the time that they had identified more sites for closure than the six listed.
Cineworld, which also owns Picturehouse, entered administration in July 2023 – struggling with debt estimated to be almost £4 billion.
The company had been trying to find a buyer for some or all of its sites but, after failing to do so, announced plans to close the six sites it deemed “commercially unviable”.