BIG NEWS: Saudi Arabia says cinemas will be allowed from early 2018

[Fullbuster]

The first cinemas expected to open in March 2018

Saudi Arabia said on Monday that public cinemas would be allowed in the conservative kingdom and the first cinemas were likely to open early next year.

“As the industry regulator, the General Commission for Audiovisual Media has started the process for licensing cinemas in the Kingdom,” Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad said in a statement.

“We expect the first cinemas to open in March 2018.”

 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/saudi-arabia-says-cinemas-will-be-allowed-from-early-2018/article21389914.ece

 

 

It's always great to have a new box office market, and Saudi Arabia definitely has some potential : 32 million inhabitants and strong population growth, the population is pretty well-off...some movies could add millions of dollars to their global total with this

 

[YM!]

This’ll be interesting.

[titanic2187]

few millions to come for every blockbusters

[Olive]

Will make up for Germany's decreasing.

[Lordmandeep]

I have a feeling Fast and Furious would do huge numbers here 

[UserHN]

Can someone opine if Infinity War and Solo: A Star Wars Story would become huge in Saudi Arabia?

Edited December 11, 2017 by UserHN

[KP1025]

Quote

 

By 2030, Saudi Arabia is expected to open over 300 cinemas with more than 2,000 screens

 

 

It seems only a very limited number of theaters are opening next year at best. I guess we have to wait a long time before Saudi Arabia contributes a meaningful amount to a film's box office.

[Fullbuster]

2 minutes ago, KP1025 said:

 

It seems only a very limited number of theaters are opening next year at best. I guess we have to wait a long time before Saudi Arabia contributes a meaningful amount to a film's box office.

 

Well, you don't become a developed market in a few years, even China couldn't do it lol

But at least the growth will be very fast, and the population will be far bigger by 2030, beyond 40 million people or so. It's a Spain-size / Korea-size market, not bad at all.

 

Meanwhile China, indonesia, India, Brazil and Mexico will add a lot to the global market.

[NamakFiskKa]

Nice Malaysia has some competition now

[SteveJaros]

Just in time for Infinity War! 

[manny1234]

But will censorship still be in place like for example will Deadpool 2 be heavily censored or completely banned?

Edited December 11, 2017 by manny1234

[cannastop]

7 minutes ago, manny1234 said:

But will censorship still be in place like for example will Deadpool 2 be hevaily censored or completely banned?

I'd guess that most R-Rated movies would be banned.

[Fullbuster]

2 hours ago, cannastop said:

I'd guess that most R-Rated movies would be banned.

 

Very likely.

[KP1025]

https://nypost.com/2018/01/16/emoji-movie-is-the-first-film-shown-in-saudi-arabia-in-35-years/

 

 

[Fullbuster]

33 minutes ago, KP1025 said:

https://nypost.com/2018/01/16/emoji-movie-is-the-first-film-shown-in-saudi-arabia-in-35-years/

 

 

Seriously? Their 1st film in 35 years and they chose...Emoji Movie?

[Blaze Heatnix]

4 hours ago, KP1025 said:

https://nypost.com/2018/01/16/emoji-movie-is-the-first-film-shown-in-saudi-arabia-in-35-years/

 

 

Wow!!! They're starting well, really well. XD

[a2k]

Will benefit Indian films a lot (especially Hindi and Malayalam films).

[titanic2187]

5 hours ago, Fullbuster said:

Seriously? Their 1st film in 35 years and they chose...Emoji Movie?

They will reinstate the ban after the emoji movie showing

[John Rambo]

46 minutes ago, a2knet said:

Will benefit Indian films a lot (especially Hindi and Malayalam films).

Add Telugu and Tamil as well! Apart from huge Malayalam market saudi has significant number of telugu and tamil people.