The resumption of dine-in services starts in an orderly manner in Shanghai on June 29, 2022 after it was suspended for about three months. Shanghai residents flock back to restaurants to enjoy delicacies. Photo: Bai Qi/Global Times

Shanghai cinemas are scheduled to gradually reopen from Friday in a strict and orderly manner, which is expected to give a boost to the national film market with the pent-up demand, but recent COVID-19 cases in Shanghai are making the industry more cautious toward the reopening.

Real-time data from ticket platform Dengta showed that Shanghai box office presales for Friday hit 1.37 million yuan ($204,000) as of Thursday afternoon.

According to the preliminary announcement of the municipal government, cinemas and performance venues will be gradually opened from Friday with limited capacity and stringent COVID-19 prevention measures.

An SFC International Cinema in the Qingpu district is prepared to open on Friday and treat the audience with blockbusters like Jurassic World: Dominion. "The bookings and box office for Friday have been good. We will even have private screenings at 10 am and 1 pm on Friday," a staffer told the Global Times on Thursday.

Shanghai Wanda Cinema has also kicked off pre-sales of tickets, offering Dolby Cinema and IMAX experiences. "For those who haven't seen a blockbuster movie on the big screen in a long time, it will be a great viewing experience," Shanghai Wanda Cinema said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday.

The cinemas that open will follow stringent COVID-19 prevention measures, the Global Times learned. For example, at Shanghai Wanda Cinema, the audience will be limited to less than 50 percent of capacity, and moviegoers will have their temperature measured, wear masks and enter the theater only with negative nucleic acid testing results within 72 hours.

In addition, Shanghai Wanda Cinema will require all staff members with direct contact to audiences to take nucleic acid tests on daily basis and will remind viewers to wear masks and not eat and drink during the film screening.

The gradual resumption of cinemas in Shanghai will give a boost to the national film market as life returns to normalcy and will usher in a comprehensive recovery in the services sector, Hong Yong, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Shanghai has been a mainstay of the nation's film industry. From 2018 to 2021, Shanghai accounted for 5.5-6 percent of the country's box office, the highest share among first-tier cities in China, according to a report from Central China Securities.

Xiang Kai, a director who closely follows the film industry, expects a burst of film consumption this weekend due to the pent-up demand. "With the resumption of cinemas in Shanghai, it is expected that China's box office during the summer vacation will surpass the level of last year to exceed 10 billion yuan," Xiang said.

However, cinemas will remain closed in some parts of the city. The city's culture and tourism bureau said on Wednesday that given the current epidemic situation, it will allow entertainment venues to gradually reopen depending on the epidemic situation in each district in a strict and orderly manner.

"Due to the recent resurgence in COVID cases in the city we will adjust operations according to the notice of the superior department," a cinema in Jiading district told the Global Times on Thursday.

Tianshan Cinema in Changning district said in a notice that the originally scheduled resumption on Friday will be suspended due to epidemic controls. "Due to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in Shanghai, it is expected that measures to enter cinemas will be more elaborate and strict in the future," Xiang noted.

Shanghai reported 32 new local COVID19 cases and 22 asymptomatic cases for July 6.