We’re getting a mix of the slightly old and the new in terms of Hollywood blockbusters as cinemas are set to reopen for the first time since July’s devastating COVID-19 wave in Indonesia.
The government further eased curbs as it extended the Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM) by a week yesterday evening, this time allowing cinemas in cities/regencies observing the relatively relaxed Levels 2 and 3 of the tiered protocol in Java and Bali to reopen.
Major chains, including XXI and CGV, have been instructed to implement visitor screening using the integrated health and mobility tracking app PeduliLindungi. Only those who can show proof of vaccination and free of COVID-19 are allowed access to cinemas (thus ruling out children under the age of 12), while theaters are required to limit capacity to 50 percent and prohibit eating and drinking while inside.
And we can finally join the rest of the world (where cinemas haven’t been closed in recent months) and get back into full Marvel Cinematic Universe swing with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which has been listed as among the biggest blockbusters to headline the reopening of cinemas in Indonesia.
Giving a chance to Indonesians who prefer the full cinematic experience, we’re also getting movies that were released internationally within the last few months but have not made their Indonesian cinema debuts, including Black Widow and The Suicide Squad. Of course, we in Indonesia have seen Scarlett Johansson kick ass and (SPOILER WARNING) break a nose thanks to the movie’s simultaneous release on streaming platform Disney+ in July.
Dia sudah siap beraksi. Bersiaplah untuk melihat aksi yang menakjubkan dalam Marvel Studios' #BlackWidowID tayang di Cinema XXI segera! pic.twitter.com/wUL6mO7CEE
— Cinema XXI (@cinema21) September 14, 2021
Other old-ish movies set to play at the major chains include Free Guy, Jungle Cruise, and Space Jam: A New Legacy.
