A popular Japanese commentary forum shared an update posted by the Grand Cinema Sunshine chain, about an upcoming suspension of ticket sales due to a request made by Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures (in short, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area) to the national government to establish a new state of emergency in light of the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since representatives of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area reportedly asked the national government to declare a new state of emergency, it is not possible to ensure the possibility of theaters continuing to operate in the area, so Grand Cinema Sunshine will temporarily suspend ticket sales starting Tuesday, January 5, 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers.
東京都より政府に緊急事態宣言要請との報道を受けまして、映画館の営業に制限のかかる可能性を排除できないため、グランドシネマサンシャインでは1/5(火)分からの先売りを一旦見合わせとさせていただきます。
— グランドシネマサンシャイン (@cs_ikebukuro) January 2, 2021
お客様にはご不便・ご迷惑ををお掛け致しますが、何卒ご了承ください。
The request to declare a new state of emergency in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area would jeopardize, in the words of the Japanese forum members, the upcoming releases scheduled for the anime industry, especially that of the film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, the fourth and final part of the film project Rebuild of Evangelion, scheduled for release in Japan on January 23rd.
According to users, even if the film is released, the fact that the Tokyo Metropolitan Area is excluded will inevitably reduce the film's box office earnings, irreparably affecting its passage through theaters. The state of emergency would also prevent fans within the Tokyo Metropolitan Area from moving to other prefectures to enjoy the premiere, so that may not be an option for them. So far, there have been no official announcements about whether the state of emergency request will be approved or what is planned to be done with the release of this film (whether the release will be postponed or whether it will be released anyway except for the area), but an official announcement is expected soon.
