Blackwood’s Maxime Cinema to reopen on Monday

Blackwood’s Maxime Cinema will reopen on Monday for the first time since early December, following an easing of coronavirus measures in Wales.

But there are questions over how the cinema will be able to serve food or drink.

Currently, due to coronavirus restrictions, hospitality venues such as pubs, cafes and restaurants have to serve food and drink to individual tables.

As cinemas are classed as hospitality venues, this means cinema-goers would have to get their food and drink delivered to their seats, and would be unable to pick it up from the counter they normally would.

Steven Reynolds MBE, director of Picturedrome, which owns Maxime Cinema, has called on the Welsh Government to alter this rule.

“We have strong protests against it”, Mr Reynolds told Caerphilly Observer.

He also said he’s been told the rules may be reversed, with an announcement from the Welsh Government expected tomorrow, following its coronavirus review, which is taking place on Thursday.

The Welsh Government has been contacted for comment.

But Mr Reynolds said the cinema would be opening on Monday regardless of the rules surrounding food and drink.

He said: “We’ve sold over 900 tickets next week for Peter Rabbit 2.

“On May 28, we will have Disney’s Cruella. We have a big lineup and a premiere in the pipeline too.”

The premiere of Dream Horse – which stars Damian Lewis and Australian actress Toni Collette – is set to be held at the Maxime Cinema later this month.

The film, which is based on the real life story of Cefn Fforest racehorse Dream Alliance, was set to hit cinemas last April but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It will hit cinemas nationwide on June 4.

Films coming to Blackwood cinema when it reopens

• Godzilla vs. Kong
• Mortal Kombat
• Nomadland
• Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
• Spiral: From the Book of Saw
• Those Who Wish Me Dead
• Tom and Jerry