Cinemas’ plan for the future... show TV series!

A MAJOR cinema chain could soon hit Netflix series such as Queen’s Gambit instead of relying on traditional blockbuster films.

Vue, the third-largest chain in the UK with 90 venues, also aims to host big video games events and show more live sports such as Premier League football.

Chief executive Tim Richards said the lines between the film industry and home entertainment were becoming more blurred. He told the MoS: ‘We are in conversations with content producers on all their feature-length films and shows – we are talking to everyone, because there is a demand for high-quality feature film and TV at a cinema.’

He added: ‘Why wouldn’t you want to watch an incredible Netflix show like Queen’s Gambit on a big screen with your friends and family? Or HBO’s Game Of Thrones – that would be incredible.’

Mr Richards said he is considering dedicated screens to show independent films and is running trials to let customers play video games on the company’s 65ft screens.

The chain is also planning to show more live sport at its 227 cinemas around the world. That follows partnerships with BT Sport, Sky and ITV to show Premier League and Champions League football matches and boxing. Vue also screens theatre, opera, comedy and TV shows such as BBC1’s Sherlock and Doctor Who.

‘We have a lot of potential – so that is why sports, music, comedy and gaming is so attractive,’ said Mr Richards, a former Hollywood executive who was appointed chairman of the British Film Institute in February by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.

Cinemas have traditionally had a difficult relationship with streaming giants over fears that releasing films straight to TV would hit profits.

Actress Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for releasing her new superhero film Black Widow on its streaming service on the same day as cinemas, claiming that it hits her earnings. But Mr Richards said the streaming giants were no longer the ‘bad guys’ and that MGM studio’s decision to hold out for a cinema release for the next James Bond film, No Time To Die, showed cinema’s ongoing importance.

However, he added: ‘The future is going to be one of integration, where you will have a content producer that could be Netflix or it could be Warner Brothers. Then they will release a film theatrically, on a big screen, and then on home entertainment, either through subscription service or premium on-demand service.’

Amazon bought MGM for $8.45billion (£5.97billion) in May, meaning it now produces and distributes films. Mr Richards said more blockbuster deals were on the way. ‘Right now, the studios don’t control the cinemas. So I think the natural next step for an organisation like Amazon would be to purchase a cinema circuit,’ he said.