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After finally getting a chance to enjoy blockbuster films like F9: The Fast Saga and Black Widow, the movie-going public in Jamaica will have to pull back on hopes of enjoying a normal cinema- going experience as a result of this week’s tightening of COVID-19 restrictions.

In a notice to the public, Palace Amusement, operators of local cinemas, said: “Due to the new curfew times, Sunshine Palace, Carib 5 and Palace Multiplex will only have ONE showtime effective immediately.”

In addition, Palace said: “The New Kingston Drive-In will have NO SHOWS until further notice. All cinemas will remain CLOSED on Sundays and public holidays.”

The move comes after Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced on Monday evening (July 26) that curfew hours from Monday to Saturday would, effective Tuesday, begin at 8 pm and end at 5 am the next morning. On Sundays and public holidays, including the upcoming Independence and Emancipation days, curfews will begin at 3 pm.

The tightening of the curfew hours will prove a setback to Palace Amusement which would have been hoping to pull itself out of the 90 per cent fall off in revenues it suffered for the six-month period ended December 31 last year.

During that period, Palace Amusement recorded total revenues of $66.62 million compared with the $669.90 million recorded for the corresponding period in 2019.

In recent weeks, indications appeared to have been positive with Our Today visiting viewings at both the New Kingston Drive-In and Carib 5 where crowds were far from sparse, though the films were not necessarily sold out.

The tightened curfews also come at a particularly inconvenient time for Palace as US film studios have slowly begun releasing blockbuster films that are expected to tempt filmgoers, who have been growing more accustomed to watching movies at home, back into the cinema.

With limited showtimes and the simultaneous release of movies in the theatre and on streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max, Palace is now facing the prospect of losing out on customers starving for theatre-ready movies and who could consider going home to watch upcoming films like the upcoming Jungle Cruise, with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson on a late night at home with friends and family.

Jungle Cruise has been advertised by Disney as coming to both cinemas and Disney+ on July 30. It opens in Jamaica tomorrow.

At the same time, another highly anticipated blockbuster, Suicide Squad, sees its initial release today (July 28), though Palace has not yet indicated when it will open in Jamaica.

Currently, Palace is also showing films Great White, Snake Eyes, Black Widow, F9, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and Space Jam: A New Legacy, all with showtime starting the latest 5:15 pm.

Yesterday, one avid cinema-goer told Our Today that after a year of not going out to the movies, he glad to have been able to watch F9 at the Carib 5.

“I watched Black Widow at home on Disney+ because I wasn’t sure it would have been worth going out, but I felt like I just had to watch F9 on a big screen,” he said.

“I’ve been fully vaccinated but I was still surprised by how normal and comfortable it was to be back at Carib, but the truth is, after last year, I don’t know if I really need to go back to cinema again. I have a big enough TV and good acoustics at home, so I can just invite someone over and we watch a movie together.”