Hollywood has resoundingly failed to furnish cinemas with enough fresh material to bring trade bouncing back. The company has blamed its financial woes on the “limited film slate” which, they said, had failed to lure back customers in sufficient numbers since lockdown lifted in April 2021. An all-time low of 1.8 pence was hit on Friday, before ending the week at 4.1 pence.

The firm, which runs 751 theatres worldwide and 127 in the UK, including the 25-strong boutique Picturehouse chain, admitted last week that it was in talks with various stakeholders about a financial rescue package. In a statement, it said: “Cineworld would expect to maintain its operations in the ordinary course until and following any filing and ultimately to continue its business over the longer term with no significant impact upon its employees.” In the wake of reports last week, the British-based cinema operator has confirmed it is considering filing for bankruptcy in the US, though declined to comment on whether it would also do so in the UK, or how its 4,600 employees would be affected. You might imagine a company charging prices like that would be financially bulletproof. Anyway, at our mid-afternoon showing, a family ticket – two adults, two children – cost £64.20.

Even though the film had been out for a couple of months, it was still playing in the main IMAX screen – exactly where I’d hoped they’d be able to experience it in all its stomach-flipping majesty, rather than on television on some unspecified future rainy Sunday, with the aerial spectacle at Airfix size. Earlier this month, my wife and I took our boys to see Top Gun: Maverick at our local Cineworld as a summer holiday treat.

Screenx no time to die