Tim Richards, founder and CEO of Vue Entertainment, Europe's largest privately owned cinema operator, has said that the cinema exhibition business is poised for a strong comeback after weathering pandemic disruptions and Hollywood strikes. Richards also delivered the keynote address at the European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) Convention on Wednesday. "Ten years from now we're going to look back at [the upcoming] 'Avatar' and think that was the end and the beginning," Richards told Variety. "The end of everything that...
Vue International
Tim
Richards
Founder / CEO
Since launching London-based Vue International in 1999, Richards has turned it into a top theatrical exhibitor, with close to 2,000 screens at 227 locations in major European markets and Taiwan. The company was enjoying record revenues in 2019 and 2020 before the pandemic hit, and Richards has spent the ensuing months publicly promoting the continued importance of the big-screen experience while behind the scenes optimizing his theaters’ scheduling, booking and marketing in response to changing habits and the latest safety protocols. In February 2021, he was named chair of the British Film Institute by the U.K. government, making him one of the official leaders of the country’s film industry, which has been struggling to meet staffing demands brought on by production explosion driven by his rivals in the streaming business.
