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No Time to Die, no seats to buy: Cathay’s losing battle

Industry strikes and creative bankruptcy have got Hollywood serving up warmed-over fare – and cinemas have paid the price

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    • In Singapore, cinema attendance stood at 10 million in 2023, down from its peak of 22.1 million in 2011.
    • In Singapore, cinema attendance stood at 10 million in 2023, down from its peak of 22.1 million in 2011. PHOTO: ST

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    Joyce Hooi

    Joyce Hooi

    Published Tue, Feb 25, 2025 · 05:00 AM

    IF YOU’VE ever longed for a licence to kill, you probably already know that Amazon has gained creative control over the James Bond franchise, in addition to the distribution rights that it already holds for the series.

    In any case, you are more likely to encounter James Bond sipping his martini at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) than in a cinema. Casino gambling is on the rise, while cinema-watching is on the wane, and last week’s events underscored this inevitability.

    Even as MBS has reportedly clinched a record S$12 billion loan for its gargantuan expansion in Singapore, the beleaguered Cathay Cineplexes shuttered its West Mall location last week.

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