While cinema chains in many key markets, including the United States, already under pressure from the rise of streaming services, have struggled to attract customers to their cushioned seats following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, in In Southeast Asia the outlook is much more promising: Box office records are being broken, subsidies for film making are being announced, and large cinema chains are entering expansion mode.
Indonesia’s largest cinema chain, Cinema XXI, went public in August, making the company’s co-founder Benny Suherman a billionaire, while Thai movie theater operators Major Cineplex Group and SF Corporation are planning an expansion; the first targets 10 new branches and up to 50 screens.
Southeast Asian cinema chains faced their own challenges during the pandemic, but the current situation stands in stark contrast to other Asian markets.