
Will Cathay Cineplexes soon bid its final farewell amid millions in debt?
SINGAPORE: Cathay Cineplexes may soon bid its final farewell, with owner and operator mm2 Asia announcing it is evaluating 'all available options'—including winding up the cinema business—to address the millions of dollars in financial challenges it is facing.
In a bourse filing on Thursday (July 17), mm2 Asia said, 'The Group has been committed towards the continued operation of its cinema business in Singapore. However, such commitment requires the support from its landlords, which has not been meaningful despite the difficult operating environment for cinemas and the wider retail industry over the past years caused by, amongst other things, the COVID-19 pandemic.'
Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that in the last three years, Cathay Cineplexes has closed six outlets across Singapore, including its West Mall outlet in February. Only four are still operating today.
Before announcing its West Mall outlet closure, mm2 Asia received letters of demand from landlords of its Century Square and Causeway Point outlets, seeking S$2.7 million in unpaid rent and other costs . That figure has since risen to over S$3 million.
More demands have come in this month. The landlord of its former Jem outlet is seeking around S$3.4 million in rental arrears, while Linkwasha Holdings is demanding repayment of S$7.56 million from a S$30 million loan Linkwasha provided in 2017, which helped fund mm2 Asia's acquisition of Cathay Cineplexes from Cathay Organisation. The company said that while it has repaid its loan over the years, the outstanding amount is now due by July 28.
In a separate bourse filing on Wednesday (July 16), the company also proposed to extend the maturity date of a S$54 million bond deal originally due December 29, 2025, to December 30, 2031.
mm2 Asia said it is reviewing all options in light of its recent receipt of various statutory demands and outlined three possible paths forward: To continue negotiations with Cathay Cineplexes' landlords with the aim of restructuring existing obligations consensually
To pursue a scheme of arrangement under a court-supervised process to restructure the cinemas' debts while keeping operations running
Or to pursue the winding up of Cathay Cineplexes
In February, Cathay Cineplexes launched its 'Save Our Screens' campaign in a bid to keep its cinemas running. However, the move drew flak from cinema-goers who faced issues using their vouchers.
mm2 Asia said it would make further announcements should there be any material developments regarding legal demands or lease-related matters.
'Shareholders are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the company and to refrain from taking any action in relation to their shares which may be prejudicial to their interests,' it added. /TISG document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { const trigger = document.getElementById("ads-trigger"); if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { entries.forEach(entry => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here observer.unobserve(entry.target); // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); observer.observe(trigger); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


International Business Times
an hour ago
- International Business Times
Asian Markets Rise on Trade Optimism and Strong US Earnings
Markets across Asia rose on Thursday as optimism from Wall Street and the promise of more U.S. trade deals fueled trading. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) climbed 0.4%, to its peak since the year before. Japan's Nikkei 225 continued its surge, moving within a hair's breadth of its all-time high as Singapore's STI and Japan's Topix both breached heights. x Recent trade agreements with Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines have lifted investor confidence. Now it is talking with the EU, raising the possibility of a bigger deal. European stock futures were swept along with the optimism: Euro Stoxx 50 futures rose 1.17%, DAX futures 1.15%, and FTSE futures 0.39%. "Markets seem to be ready to throw caution aside on the back of significant trade deals," said NAB strategist Gavin Friend. Trump's Fed Visit Sparks New Speculation In a surprise, President Trump is scheduled to visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday, two days before the next policy meeting. Analysts speculated that the visit might be intended to pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. The Fed is overwhelmingly anticipated to keep rates unchanged next week. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was unchanged at 4.3937%, while the 2-year yield traded at 3.8908%. The dollar fell 0.31% against the yen to 146.03 and dipped briefly on the dollar index, down to 97.156. Earnings and Wall Street Drive Momentum U.S. stocks rose strongly on Wednesday. The Dow rose 1.1%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.76%, and the Nasdaq gained 0.6%. To date, 23% of S&P 500 companies have reported results for the second quarter, with 85% of them beating expectations, according to LSEG data. In Asia, shares of the South Korean microchip maker SK Hynix and the Indian technology services company Infosys both provided optimistic earnings forecasts, setting aside concerns about tariffs. The focus of investors now turns to reports from big U.S. companies and the ECB's rate decision later on Thursday. The ECB is expected to pause after seven straight cuts. Traders anticipate one more cut by December. Trump's earlier threat of a 30% tariff on EU goods could potentially be softened down, as officials indicate that a compromise of a 15% flat rate is in the works. Commodities Steady Ahead of Central Bank Moves Oil prices rose on Thursday following a sharp drop in the United States' crude stocks and amid expectations of potential trade deals lifting demand for crude. American crude gained 0.52% to $65.59 a barrel. Spot gold eased marginally to $3,382.79 an ounce as safe-haven demand waned.


CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore Tonight - Thu 24 Jul 2025
44:19 Min Singapore Tonight From business to politics, health to technology, we bring you up-to-date with the latest news on Singapore and analyze how these events may affect you tomorrow.


CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Asia First - Thu 24 Jul 2025
From the opening bell across markets in Southeast Asia and China, to the biggest business interviews and top financial stories, tune in to Asia First to kick-start your business day.