Cinema chain Odeon have said it will move a quarter of its UK branches to a weekend-only model from this Friday.
The company has confirmed that about 30 of its 120 cinema sites will now shut from Monday to Thursday.
It comes after audience figures have been slow to recover following the coronavirus pandemic.
The cinema chain emailed loyalty customers last week to notify them that some theatres will operate on a weekend-only model for the time being.
Odeon, which is owned by AMC Theaters, the world’s largest cinema chain with more than 1,000 outlets, said the business is struggling to stay open with limited new releases.
"We look forward to reopening full-time when the big blockbusters return," the company said in an email to customers.
"But in the meantime, we promise to bring you a great choice of big-screen films to enjoy at the weekends."
It has not yet been revealed which Odeon branches will be affected by the changes.
It is understood the announcement was made prior to MGM and Universal’s decision to delay the latest James Bond movie from November to April 2021.
The news comes as rival chain Cineworld confirmed it will temporarily close 127 of its sites from Thursday. The decision will affect around 45,000 employees in the UK and the US.
