'Black Panther' to end Saudi's 35-year movie ban today: All you need to know

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Black Panther to end Saudis 35-year movie ban today: All you need to know

Riyadh - The cinema is set to open to the public in May.

By AFP

Published: Wed 18 Apr 2018, 7:44 AM

Last updated: Wed 18 Apr 2018, 6:12 PM

Blockbuster action flick 'Black Panther' will play at a cinema test screening in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first in a series of trial runs before movie theatres open to the wider public next month.
The Kingdom lifted a 35-year ban on cinemas last year as part of a far-reaching liberalisation drive, with US giant AMC Entertainment granted the first licence to operate movie theatres.

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Anticipation had been building after the authorities announced earlier this month that Saudi Arabia's first cinema in over three decades would open on Wednesday in Riyadh.
But officials close to the government and local media said this week that it would be a test screening at the new cinema in the King Abdullah Financial District and movie theatres are expected to open to the public in May.
"It will be the first in a series of test screenings, attended by industry specialists, that will be held... to support final preparations for the opening of the cinema to the wider public," said a public relations firm representing the Saudi government.
AMC Entertainment signed a non-binding agreement in December with Saudi Arabia's vast Public Investment Fund to build and operate cinemas across the Kingdom.
Saudi state media has said the company expects to open 40 cinemas across 15 Saudi cities over the next five years.
International theatre chains have long eyed the Kingdom as the Middle East's last untapped mass market of more than 30 million people, the majority of whom are under 25.
AMC will still face stiff competition from other heavyweights including Dubai-based VOX Cinemas, the leading operator in the Middle East.
The move to reopen cinemas is part of a modernisation drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking to balance unpopular subsidy cuts in an era of low oil prices with more entertainment options - despite opposition from religious hardliners.
Long known for its ultra-conservative mores, the Kingdom has embarked on a wide-ranging programme of social reforms that includes boosting sports and entertainment and allowing women to drive from June.
In February, Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority announced it will stage more than 5,000 festivals and concerts in 2018, double the number of last year, and pump $64 billion in the sector in the coming decade.
Beginning of cinematic era: Here's what you need to know

Saudi Arabia announced it will open 40 cinemas in 15 Saudi cities over the next five years as part of plans to develop the entertainment sector in the Kingdom. 100 theatres will open in approximately 25 Saudi cities by 2030.

Saudi Ministry of Information confirmed 350 cinema theatres with 2,500 screens are slated to be open across several Saudi cities by 2030.

The first company to obtain a license to operate cinemas in Saudi Arabia is AMC.

The Black Panther will be the first film to be shown in the Kingdom's first cinema. It has now made $665.4 million domestically, which makes it the third-highest grossing film in North American history.

The film will be exhibited in a theatre that can accommodate 620 people at the King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh, and the American operator AMC has also scheduled a special event for the historic opening.

Cinema tickets will be initially priced at 50 riyals.
The official Twitter account made for Saudi cinemas 'alcinema_sa' received 106K followers hours after it was created. Its first tweet was "We're back" followed by a popcorn emoji.

Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture and Information has estimated the contribution of the cinema sector to its GDP to be over $24 billion.

Cinemas in Saudi Arabia will create more than 30,000 full-time jobs, in addition to 130,000 part-time jobs by the year 2030.