The Tribune

The Mall at Marathon has confirmed a new movie theatre is coming almost two years after Galleria Cinemas closed its doors in April 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a “coming soon” video posted on the Mall’s Facebook page, it showcased a number of new additions to come, including the return of the movie theatre. The video gave the impression that persons can expect the theatre in 2025.

A statement on the Mall at Marathon’s website confirmed: “We’re excited to announce the return of the movie theatre at the Mall at Marathon. Hollywood blockbusters and your favourite movie snacks will be back soon. Stay tuned…”

The COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated the challenges Galleria faced since Fusion Superplex entered the market. In November 2021, the late Chris Mortimer, its principal, told Tribune Business the pandemic accelerated the development of Netflix and other streaming services, causing more and more people to access movies digitally rather than leave their homes and visit the theatre.

His comment came after the government adjusted COVID-19 restrictions, removing the curfew, therefore permitting late night showings. He said demand for cinema showings was down as much as 85 percent compared to pre-COVID. At the start of the pandemic, Galleria officials appeared optimistic they could manage the crisis, reducing ticket prices from $10 to $7.

Mr Mortimer, interviewed by this newspaper in November 2021, said that while Galleria and its rival, Fusion SuperPlex, had both been constrained by the maximum 33 percent movie theatre capacity limit imposed after they were allowed to re-open, demand has plummeted in line with global trends.

“I would say demand through COVID dropped as much as 85 percent,” he told this newspaper. “It was around the world. We’re trying to be mindful not to automatically cause our expenses to go up and not have it justified by being in line with consumer demand.

“We have a ways to go. We still have the pandemic. All my management people and consultants are saying: ‘Take it as it comes and see how it goes over the next several weeks and adjust accordingly.”

Reiterating that US movie demand “has not even rebounded close to pre-COVID levels”, the Galleria chief said the whole industry - including in The Bahamas - has to be aware that “consumer behaviour” has changed in way that has been accelerated by the pandemic’s impact.

“A lot of people get their product delivered to them digitally,” he added. “We have to be mindful that we are not going to the place where we were before.” Mr Mortimer said the cinema business had known of the growing competitive threat posed by streaming services five years ago, and COVID-19 has narrowed that timeframe significantly.

Suggesting this was one reason why movie demand is struggling to recover to pre-pandemic levels, he added: “We have to be mindful of that moving forward. These are global trends. We’ve known that for years in the industry and COVID has accelerated it by almost four years. What was supposed to impact in four to five years’ time has happened in 2020.

“It’s condensed the timeframe and we have to be mindful moving forward, and adjust ourselves. To use the phrase, we have to cut the suit to fit the cloth.” As a result, Galleria’s last night-time movie showings will continue to be in the 8pm time slot until consumers dictate otherwise.

“A lot of things will be driven by demand moving forward,” Mr Mortimer said. “We do what we have to do in making sure people remain safe. The emergency orders may be over but the pandemic is still here, and we have to be cognisant of what’s happening around the world where COVID numbers are going up.”