by Thinus Ferreira
While South African cinemas struggle to lure back moviegoers, Ster-Kinekor has confirmed its adjusted film release slate for 2021 that will include Tom Cruise's Top Gun and Mission Impossible return, the 9th tyre-burning Fast & Furious, the reboot Dune sci-fi spectacle and just maybe that long-stalled next 007 movie.
Ster-Kinekor that entered business rescue in January says that it is "massively excited for the upcoming slate of Hollywood blockbusters whilst
cinemas continue to dole out much-needed doses of escapism".
Ster-Kinekor says that nearly 1 million moviegoers in South Africa have visited the cinema since theatres were allowed to open at the end of August 2020 following the Covid-19 shutdown, and according to the cinema chain "the outlook for the remainder of 2021 is positive".
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) last week released its shocking 2020 South African film report, detailing how South Africa's 2020 total box office revenues plunged R1.2 billion to just R214 million compared to 2019 - the lowest in a decade due to the Covid-19 shutdown.
"The Covid-19 vaccine has started to restore consumer confidence and individuals have begun to adapt to the 'new normal' of social distancing and sanitising. As
South Africans become more comfortable with resuming out-of-home entertainment
activities they have a plethora of top-class cinematic features to look forward
to," says Ster-Kinekor.
In its adjusted Hollywood film slate, Ster-Kinekor plans to release the following films this year, although no specific premiere dates are attached yet.
The list includes the notoriously delayed No Time to Die, the 25th James Bond instalment that will be the final turn of Daniel Craig as the British "007" spy. The film's release date has been pushed back multiple times with 8 October 2021 that is the latest date.
Here is Ster-Kinekor's latest adjusted Hollywood slate for 2021 that it plans to show in South Africa:
Wrath of
Man
Peter
Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Cruella
A Quiet
Place 2
Fast &
Furious 9
Black Widow
Top Gun:
Maverick
Jungle
Cruise
Free Guy
Dune
Venom: Let
There Be Carnage
No Time to
Die
Ghostbusters:
Afterlife
Mission Impossible 7
