New movie theater to open at former Broadway cinema location in Plaza Hollywood

After a string of cinema closures in Hong Kong, we’ve got some good news for film buffs with the opening of a new movie theater in Diamond Hill.

MCL Cinemas announced on its Facebook page on Thursday that it is opening the largest cinema in East Kowloon in Plaza Hollywood.

The movie theater chain is taking over the former site of Broadway Circuit’s Plaza Hollywood branch, which closed last month due to pressures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

MCL Cinemas said the facility — MCL CINEMAS Plus+ Plaza Hollywood — will have a total area of about 38,000 square feet, divided over two floors. The cinema will have six theaters, providing about 1,600 seats.

The chain added that the theaters will use NEC 4K projectors and are equipped with Dolby 7.1 surround sound systems.

“After being stuck at home for so long, you can visit a new cinema this summer!” said MCL Cinemas.

Movie theaters in Hong Kong have been temporarily closed since Jan. 7 as part of tightened coronavirus restrictions to tackle its worst wave of infections since the pandemic began. 

Strict COVID-19 closures in the past few years — including more than 100 days in 2020 — have forced many cinemas to shutter.

Cinema City Victoria in Causeway Bay also closed permanently this year, while movie theater chain UA Cinemas closed its six locations in last year.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said last month that if the coronavirus situation remained stable and is on a decreasing trend, venues such as cinemas could reopen on April 21.