By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-31 10:31:11 | Updated at 2025-04-02 01:25:03
1 day ago
Patrons are bidding farewell to Hong Kong’s Newport Theatre as the cinema in Mong Kok prepares to close its doors after 20 years in business, with only one of the 12 screenings for the venue’s last day having sold more than half of its tickets by the afternoon.
Some patrons said on Monday that they planned to watch two films back-to-back to support the venue’s operator, as the cinema became the latest to shut down amid a wave of closures.
“It is a place full of collective memories for Hongkongers. It is hard to let it go,” said Sophia Au, a teacher in her forties and a neighbourhood resident.
She watched Peg O’ My Heart, a recent thriller directed by Nick Cheung Ka-fai, at 11.20am, before attending a screening of Ne Zha 2 with her mother.
“In those old days with no mobile phones, people were happy to go to theatres to watch a movie. Now, we have so many other entertainment options and distractions, plus a bad economy. I feel like it is inevitable,” Au said.
She described Newport Theatre as a “down-to-earth” cinema, noting that it was relatively cheaper compared to other venues, with tickets priced at around HK$80 (US$10.2), while the staff there were “friendly and helpful”.
