Latest news with #MegaBox
South China Morning Post
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hotpot over hot dogs? Hong Kong cinemas need new ideas to survive
A recent trend in Hong Kong is causing concern. Cinemas and restaurants that have operated here for years are now closing down for good. Advertisement Earlier this month, cinema chain operator Golden Harvest shut its venue at the MegaBox shopping centre, the fifth cinema it has closed down since April 2024. That came just days after it shut the Grand Ocean Cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui, which had been in business for 56 years. Other cinemas shutting up shop this year include the Newport Theatre in Mong Kok and the Grand Kornhill Cinema in Quarry Bay. That is five cinemas closing this year – including the Golden Harvest Whampoa cinema in Hung Hom – and we are barely halfway through the year. According to the Hong Kong Theatres Association, there were only 51 cinemas operating in the city as of May, compared with 112 venues in 1994. Much has changed since the 1990s, when I went to the movies almost every week. The anticipation of catching the next blockbuster and not needing to wait months before it came out on video made choosing to go to the movies easy. With technological advances and the rise of streaming platforms , audiences no longer need to work around screening schedules. They can watch films on demand – at home or anywhere else – on any number of devices. The cinema industry has struggled with people pirating films for years, but now it has been hit hard with a totally new kind of consumer behaviour. Movie-goers take a wefie before watching a film at Golden Harvest MegaBox in Kowloon Bay, on the cinema's final day of operation on June 9. Photo: May Tse The challenge of shrinking audiences is not unique to Hong Kong. It's not new either. Looking back a decade, Hong Kong had 47 cinemas in 2015 and 53 two years later.
South China Morning Post
14-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Inject some life into Hong Kong's fading cinemas
Film lovers in Hong Kong have been forced to watch the demise of a string of local cinemas in recent months. However, the latest closure will not result in the screens staying dark for good, raising hopes that the industry can flip the script so it can survive and thrive. The final shows at Golden Harvest's MegaBox cinema drew a steady stream of regulars and curious locals to snap up HK$40 (US$5) closing-day discount tickets. Located in a huge shopping centre and next to an ice rink, the seven-screen complex made history when it opened in 2007. It was the city's first to offer a massive IMAX experience. Now it has been swept up in a wave of at least nine venues that have shut down or suspended operations in 2024. Already this year, the Newport Theatre in Mong Kok and the Grand Kornhill Cinema in Quarry Bay have closed. On June 1, one of Hong Kong's oldest cinemas, the Golden Harvest Grand Ocean Cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui, closed its doors for good after 56 years. The Hong Kong Theatre Association said that as of May, only 51 cinemas were operating in the city, down from 112 in 1994. The spiral accelerated amid the pandemic, when streaming services allowed many to form a habit of binge-watching at home. The sector is not alone. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu recently discussed the retail scene struggles as many locals head across the border to mainland China. Lee has urged businesses to 'work harder' to respond and adapt to market changes. One idea to help open doors to fresh ideas was pitched by lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong. The sports, performing arts, culture and publication representative said licensing should be eased so cinemas could host live performances or sports broadcasts. Innovation plans could be derailed as some cinemas struggle with operational issues. The Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers says one major obstacle is when operators fail to reach rental agreements with landlords before their leases expire. The MegaBox shopping centre, at least, is not giving up on keeping a cinema as a tenant. CineArt is scheduled to take over the location next month with upgraded design and facilities that will hopefully set the scene for a crowd-pleasing sequel.
South China Morning Post
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Golden Harvest MegaBox draws crowds as yet another cinema closes in Hong Kong
Hong Kong film-goers snapped up discounted tickets for the final day of operation of Golden Harvest's MegaBox cinema on Sunday, with some disheartened fans finding comfort in the news that another theatre chain will take over the space soon. Advertisement In the afternoon, the seven-screen cinema was bustling with long-time regulars and others who were simply nearby residents, eager to snap up HK$40 (US$5) tickets for most screenings. The operator announced last week it was closing, becoming the latest in a string of cinemas to close in the city and the fifth so far this year. It added CineArt would open a new cinema in the shopping centre next month with an upgraded design and facilities. Among Sunday's film-goers was Alan Man, who said he saw almost 30 films at MegaBox this year and 70 in 2024, sometimes packing three or four into a single day. Advertisement 'I particularly like this cinema because it is cheap, not crowded and has comfortable seats. I can spend the whole day in this cinema,' said the supermarket salesman in his twenties. 'I am super sad because I will lose a 'me-place' to relax.'
South China Morning Post
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Golden Harvest's MegaBox draws crowds as yet another cinema closes in Hong Kong
Hong Kong film-goers snapped up discounted tickets for the final day of operation of Golden Harvest's MegaBox cinema on Sunday, with some disheartened fans finding comfort in the news that another theatre chain will take over the space soon. In the afternoon, the seven-screen cinema was bustling with long-time regulars and others who were simply nearby residents, eager to snap up HK$40 (US$5) tickets for most screenings. The operator announced last week it was closing, becoming the latest in a string of cinemas to close in the city and the fifth so far this year. It added CineArt would open a new cinema in the shopping centre next month with upgraded design and facilities. Among Sunday's film-goers was Alan Man, who said he saw almost 30 films at MegaBox this year and 70 last year, sometimes packing three or four into a single day. 'I particularly like this cinema because it is cheap, not crowded and has comfortable seats. I can spend the whole day in this cinema,' said the supermarket salesman in his twenties. 'I am super sad because I will lose a 'me-place' to relax.'
HKFP
05-06-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Golden Harvest to shutter MegaBox branch – 6th cinema to close in Hong Kong this year
Hong Kong cinema chain Golden Harvest has announced that it will close its branch in the Kowloon Bay shopping mall MegaBox on Monday due to 'the end of the tenancy.' It will be the sixth cinema to shut down in the city this year. In a post shared on Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday, Golden Harvest said GH MegaBox would offer a series of special discounts to audiences and host a 'Classic Mystery Movie Session' on Sunday to mark its final day of operation. IMAX tickets will be sold for HK$40, while selected combos at the concession stands will be priced at HK$40 on Sunday. Anyone who presents a GH MegaBox movie ticket at the snack counters of other Golden Harvest cinemas may enjoy a HK$10 discount on purchases of HK$65 or more between 9 and 30 June. The MegaBox branch, with seven theatres and 852 seats, will be the third Golden Harvest cinema to close this year. Grand Ocean Cinema on Canton Road closed on Monday after operating for more than five decades. Golden Harvest said in its announcement last month that the cinema was a 'landmark' in Tsim Sha Tsui, 'witnessing the passage of time through different eras of film.' In April, the Whampoa branch of Golden Harvest closed after nearly 16 years of operation in the residential area. Golden Harvest said both closures were due to the end of the cinemas' tenancies. Last year, nine local cinemas closed as overall box office receipts in Hong Kong marked the weakest performance since 2011, according to figures compiled by Hong Kong Box Office Limited. Total box office revenue amounted to HK$1.3 billion in 2024 – down 6.2 per cent from 2023, it also said in January. As of Thursday, the Hong Kong Theatres Association's website showed that it had 50 members: 12 on Hong Kong Island, 18 in Kowloon, and 20 in the New Territories, with GH MegaBox still listed as a member.
