Paris France Eiffel Tower - H 2014
AP ImagesMajor cinema chains, including Gaumont-Pathe, UGC and MK2, on Saturday decided to close their theaters in the French capital for the remainder of the day following the terrorist attacks Friday night.
The big cinema operators had originally intended to remain open and in fact had morning showings at 11 a.m. Saturday before the decision to close them.
The chains are the main theaters for Hollywood blockbusters and major releases. Some arthouse and other smaller theaters in Paris had said early Saturday that they would remain closed.
The Pathe theater at Place de Clichy had said in the morning that it was sold out for two screenings of Sony/MGM/Eone’s Spectre in the evening, which opened this weekend in Paris. It was not clear if pre-sold tickets would be refunded or honored at a later date.
Other big movies currently playing in France include Fox’s The Martian, Warner’s Pan, Woody Allen’s Irrational Man and The Lobster.
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A series of arthouse theaters had announced closures along with the City of Paris-owned Luxour and Forum des Images, in line with the city’s closure of all public institutions. Small theaters L’Arlequin, L’Escorial, Reflet Medicis, the Majestic Passy and Majestic Bastille were among those that announced they would remain closed for the day. And the State of the World and Cinema festival scheduled at the Forum and a masterclass with Vanessa Redgrave were also called off.
Movie theaters in other parts of the country remained open as of early Saturday afternoon.
The closures were announced for Saturday but it was not immediately announced if they would extend through the weekend or the three days of national mourning declared by president Francois Hollande.
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