NU METRO Theatres suspended operations in Ghana

Authorities of Nu Metro say they are temporarily freezing their movie showings to focus on constructing the Accra Shopping Mall.

The Mall will be located around the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange.

The Managing Director of Global Media Alliance, representatives of Nu Metro Theatres in Ghana, Edward Boateng says the move is to help Nu Metro redirect its resources into getting the Accra Shopping Mall operational.

He however said Nu Metro would resume operations by mid 2007.

“We've had some logistical problems because the National Theatre was shut down and that was not factored into our plans. We had thought that the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) would be there for us every weekend” he said.

Mr Boateng said demands on the AICC became enormous that it affected Nu Metro's movie showings, which became irregular.

“That's one of the reasons we've decided to shut down because government wants to use the place, private companies and NGO's and sometimes there is too much pressure on us to give in and we decided that it would be in our interest to focus more on a place which will be owned and controlled by us,” he said.

He said the company lost$560,000 operating out of the AICC. Mr Boateng said NU Metro would set up a movie club where a five-screen cinema complex will be established to show blockbuster movies where people can watch between six and eight movies at a go with one ticket.

“So we are going to continue the activities through the movie club but we are mot closing down, I mean we've made substantial investments in this market,” he said.

Nu Metro entered the Ghanaian cinema market some 15 months ago with the aim of reviving the culture of going to the cinema in Ghanaians.

The Accra International Conference Centre was the venue for the screening of blockbuster movies notable amongst them was Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.