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Think the rocket has been replaced with a torpedo as it's been going sideways at pace for 3 months now.
Someone give it a 90 degree turn northwards ;-)

Bonkers it's not an all or nothing.
Cineplex could (in theory) be found to have done as required and "win" the case. That doesn't need to equate to all parts of their claim being successful.
For example the element for lost synergies I noted.
I struggle under any circumstances to see how that went can be paid out.
Then their and our methods of teaching claim sums can be questioned (as evidenced during court trail) meaning any final costs may be a rather different number.

So long as movies have been made they don't all go to cinema, far from it.
So not sure why you would consider my possible scenario so out of question Mountainous.

Mind the Reddit crowd haven't got us a £20 share price ;-)

Mountainous
It is a possibility not only I have considered. There have been articles on the matter.
What I would say as some evidence of this already being the case is: look at the number of movies release each month since cinemas reopened.
Each and every month has been well down on precovid levels and it's (mostly) not a lack of the bigger films.
Monthly less than half of what we would have seen previously.

Current pattern isn't to say it will continue forever, but it is a possibility.
People may also prefer to watch the "average" stuff at home and make more of an event of going to cinema for Marvel etal!

Go 4dx rather than standard 2d, buy more of the concessions, go to the cinema with the plush seats etc.

To think nothing will or ever does evolve would be rather foolish I think.

My opinion is cinemas will continue to be a key element of entertainment in society and being one of the biggest players in the market Cineworld will adapt to whatever shape the future takes and be profitable.

Cineworld and others in the industry are alert to requiring change and that's what I am suggesting may happen.

Why would they go to considerable expense of upgrading seating, foyers, types of screen etc if they also didn't think the future would be different in some ways from the past?

One element of CP claim stood out beyond all else for me Bonkers ($1bn +) I think it was for "loss of synergies" by the deal not completing.
I struggled to see how this could ever even be considered, nevermind brought to my a court.

Clearly to anyone above about age 10 synergies can only be gained by a company that already has the infrastructure etc and is the one buying other business.
There is NO circumstance where Cineplex as they were/are could have benefited from synergies.

That part to me is ridiculous.
All other parts I can see (even if rather weak and stretching things) how they can be argued and end up in court.

When do we get £1:40 - £1:60 sammy?
Hope it's not also 2030 or beyond.
I could certainly live with that exit point we're it to be anytime "soon".

Today very little different from yesterday or last 3 months (barring c.2 weeks).
Sideways we go ;-)

To an ordinary layman such as myself I agree LPD, that is how it seems.
However I have no legal qualifications nevermind specialising in this field so I wouldn't pretend to say the case is won with any authority on the subject.
Those involved have far greater understandings of the law than I do and they saw fit to go to court. Unable to come to agreement beforehand fully knowing all details.

Hope we are right on this board mostly believing we should come out of it clean, BUT I don't know at this time.

Netflix no different to us showing Disney, MGM, or any other content provider (many of whom also have means of broadcasting their product to your tellybox).

Almost all serious analysts no matter how negative they are on cinema agree there is a future in the business.
The real question is what it will look like.

May mean fewer people going, but at higher price per person (even more of an experience day than it has always been. Think 4dx, superscreens, luxury seating, food etc).
Content - possibly less from traditional sources (movie studios) but a focus from them on the massive revenue generators.
The smaller stuff replaced by Netflix and other streamers product, sporting events, more concerts, ballet etc.
Possibly smaller cinemas gobbled up and fewer sites, but more of a focus on the big earning sites.

Yes there is a future, what shape nobody knows for certain.
However I think as does the people in the industry that there is a very healthy business for the foreseeable future.

If you view differently then maybe now is a time to sell your shares and move on.
Your money, your choice.

Our money, our choice.

Mountainous
End goal is for us to make money on investments we make and most here are invested in this company to do just that.
As I said I feel box office mojo numbers give us a far better idea of current picture than online booking system for a movie a theatre.
As you say we disagree, but thankfully you and I "mostly" show each other respect and accept each entitled to differing view.

You too have a pleasant evening and tomorrow is hopefully a day closer to giving us all returns worthy of the risks we each have taken.

Basilius
More relevant to this business is same details for USA (c.70% of our business)
UK 15%!? Can't remember off top head exactly.
Even UK though shows other than a few weeks we are still behind.

Mountainous

"Put aside" means nothing. It will still be cash out this half.
Cineworld/Regal in half one pretty much copied the wider market and no reason to expect any significant divergence from that in H2.
So I think best "guesstimate" we can have now is to use the box office numbers we see in box office mojo (they reflected what we ended up with h1).

Doing pretend bookings looking at cinemas online is deeply flawed.
Have covered it few times but it often shows far more booked than when you end up sat in that screening (experience of hundreds of such personal visits).
As I say box office has been and is improving.
I would just rather we didn't try to fool ourselves into believing it is much better than industry numbers clearly show us.

Something also often missed when we go down this path of looking at how busy Bond is or Venom or Black Widow (insert the biggest movie of that week).
There is a half dozen - ten other movies and screens to be utilised and they may well be running at much lower occupancy.

Both our major areas are moving right direction though and recent movies gathering some decent box office which will hopefully assist the spiral to more movie releases, more audience's, more box office take, more......

The egg that floats to top in water eh ;-)

Sorry, me bad :-(

Hi Mountainous
I agree with your sentiment of not panicking and things starting to look up.
However it is still a stretch to say the business is back better than pre pandemic or "booming".
Yes in the UK we have seen a few short weeks that would fit with that.
However it's not months and more MUCH more importantly the US which will make or break us wasn't even hitting 60% of pre covid business upto and including last month.
This month has started better, but it's 2 WEEKS and that is still less than pre covid levels.
I appreciate there has been improved concessions sales and there was major work done on cost savings.

HOWEVER since H1 we have had a major sum of money out to cover dissenting shareholders from Regal deal.
In last 18 months we took on a lot of extra debt at higher servicing costs so as the business itself has stated it wants/needs to be doing better than it has upto last couple weeks.

I for one wouldn't expect to see any profits yet (reduced, significantly reduced cash out but I don't see us YET doing numbers we will need long term).
It's improving (it needed to), but I don't believe it's near as "amazing' as some suggest as we stand right now.

If we were to assume for a moment that the court case is "in the bag" then as we seem to approach request red levels to make us a viable business again then the MM/shorters/hedge funds wanting to drag price down to play with it are on borrowed time.
By time case result is announced (we all hope favourably) then the box office will hopefully be at or near that 90% of pre covid Mooky and board want at this time in recovery.
Then little to nothing left to play with the share price negatively.

*deterred*

Us Jocks still to wear masks, it doesn't seem to have detected audiences.

Hot chocolate available 12 months a year up here in Jockland Mountainous ;-)
Not sure if that's only down to them having a Starbucks in my local.

Went out for a few hours, come back check the board and from reading I was expecting to see SP in region of 40p by the time here.
Imagine my surprise when the SP is where it's been for over 3 months!!!
Yahoo, yipeee , hurrah!!!
Awesome, no panic after all.

Didn't sell at 15p, so good luck anyone talking mince expecting me (or many others) to sell at or around these levels.

I will sit and watch as I lose the lot rather than sell here after holding through what some of us have if it comes to it (I don't expect it will, but unlike some here I don't KNOW the future) ;-)

Everyone doesn't need to invest in the same share nor invest with same strategies.
However!!!
Rip off prices as they are plenty buy the snacks, that is without ANY debate.
Box office for last few weeks in UK is back to precovid type levels (in some cases above) AGAIN that is just factual information.
Cineworld and the Cinematic business is not without its problems (otherwise we would already be sat at £2 - £3 or more.
Lets not talk sh 1.te though.