Cineworld may shut all of its 128 cinemas in the UK and Ireland after the industry was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The cinema giant is reportedly planning to write to Boris Johnson and the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, to say that the industry has become “unviable”.
It comes after the new James Bond film, which would have attracted many cinema lovers, has been delayed for a second time until the spring.
Sources familiar with the discussions told The Sunday Times that Cineworld could close all its UK sites as early as this week, putting 5,500 jobs at risk.