Skyfall director Sir Sam Mendes calls on the Government to help the ‘mortally wounded’ arts sector throughout coronavirus lockdown
Director Sir Sam Mendes has called on the Government to help the ‘mortally wounded’ arts sector throughout coronavirus lockdown.
The acclaimed director, 54, of films such as Skyfall and 1917 as well as numerous plays, said theatre and live entertainment are in ‘grave danger’ and called on Netflix and Amazon to help the situation.
Writing in the Financial Times, Sir Sam said: ‘This is not being alarmist; it is simply a statement of fact. The lockdown in response to Covid-19 has forced a total closure of all public performance spaces, removing all trading income at a single stroke.
Struggling: Director Sir Sam Mendes has called on the Government to help the ‘mortally wounded’ arts sector throughout coronavirus lockdown
‘Initially, limited cash reserves cushioned the blow of closure, and the UK’s job retention scheme has mostly saved arts organisations from making immediate redundancies.
‘But the continuance of social distancing makes the prospect of reopening simply impossible.’
Sir Sam said theatres must be kept alive until it is possible for venues to re-open and called for an extension to the Government’s job retention scheme as well as a package to support freelancers and self-employed artists.
Reaching out: The acclaimed director, 54, of films such as Skyfall (pictured)said theatre and live entertainment are in ‘grave danger’ and called on Netflix and Amazon to help
The director said the performing arts industry ‘needs to be saved now, not next week or next month’ (pictured on set of 1917)
He called for the Government’s theatre tax relief scheme to be increased from 20 per cent to 50 per cent for the next three years.
Sir Sam also asked private individuals who invest in productions, known as ‘Theatrical Angels’, to offset production losses against production profits, and said the government itself could be an ‘Angel’ if it took part in the Cultural Investment Participation Scheme.
The director said the performing arts industry ‘needs to be saved now, not next week or next month’.
Sir Sam said theatres across the country are already going out on business, while others are having to have redundancy consultations with their staff.
Theatres in Southampton, Southport and Leicester have already gone into liquidation.
The film-maker said streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon have profited from lockdown and so should use a percentage of their Covid-19 windfall to help those in the entertainment industry who have been ‘mortally wounded’.
He said: ‘The lockdown in response to Covid-19 has forced a total closure of all public performance spaces, removing all trading income’ (pictured is a scene from Spectre)
It was revealed in March that the release date for the latest Bond film No Time To Die has been postponed until November amid fears around coronavirus.
The film was due to be released in April, but Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have said that ‘after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace’ it must be delayed.
A new release date has been set for November 12 in the UK with worldwide release dates to follow, including the US launch on November 25.
The 25th film in the franchise will mark Daniel Craig’s fifth and final time as the spy.
The film also stars Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch and Ana De Armas.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film also saw Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge drafted in to improve its script.
Delayed: It was revealed in March that the release date for the latest Bond film No Time To Die has been postponed until November amid fears around coronavirus