45,000 to lose their jobs as Cineworld brings curtain down on UK and US amid £6billion debt

Image: Twitter

Cineworld is on course to cut tens of thousands of jobs after confirming plans to temporarily bring the curtain down on its UK and US cinemas because of continuing disruption from the coronavirus pandemic.

The company said its decision affected 45,000 workers, almost 6,000 of them in the UK, and Sky News understands they will lose their jobs this week in the hope they can be re-hired when the hibernation ends.

Those hit will include cleaners and security personnel.

Cineworld announced the news 24 hours after receiving a backlash from employees over media reports that renewed delays to key releases - such as new James Bond movie No Time To Die - had forced the company into temporarily closing down screens

Cineworld said on Sunday that no decision had been taken.

Its announcement to the City on Monday read: "Cineworld confirms that it will be temporarily suspending operations at all of its 536 Regal theatres in the US and its 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse theatres in the UK from Thursday 8 October 2020.

Credit: Read more from news.sky.com