Low audience footfall and high operating costs: Capri cinema halts screening of films

In a statement, the popular theatre owners announced the operations will resume Friday with Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun'

Since the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in Pakistan, filmmakers, whose films were released mere days before the Marvel flick, had been on a roll to reverse the clash or prevent similar clashes in the future. While the second installment of Doctor Strange has done decent business in Pakistan, local films struggled to attract the audience.

Seemingly, matters have now turned worse as one of the oldest cinemas in the city announced closure for four days due to low audience. In a Facebook post, Capri cinema shared the same. "Capri will remain closed from Monday till Thursday due to low audience footfall and high operating costs," the post read.

https://www.facebook.com/capricinema/posts/5248110921899536

It further added that the cinema will resume shows from Friday as Tom Cruise's latest offering, Top Gun: Maverick, releases the same day. "From Friday 27th May. Top Gun Maverick in Urdu," the statement further read as it announced four shows per day. "Daily four shows: 3pm, 5:30pm, 8pm and 10:30pm."

Previously, Dum Mastam producer Adnan Siddiqui, Parde Mein Rehne Do producer Wajahat Rauf and crime thriller Chakkar producer Yasir Nawaz sat down for an urgent press conference to discuss the local films business being affected due to foreign releases.

The filmmakers urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to look into the matter and some also brought the issue to social media's attention. Several were arguing in the favour of Multiverse of Madness, hitting back at filmmakers for wanting them to resort to local productions instead of being given a choice. Many are also explaining to filmmakers why a film's success has more to do with its content than its competition.

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