A group of high-profile directors — including Clint Eastwood, Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan and Lee Daniels — is calling on Congress to help movie theaters hit by the coronavirus pandemic, saying that without some financial relief, the cinemas "may not survive," The Hill reported. More than 70 directors, producers and writers signed a letter sent on Wednesday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), along with the National Association of Theater Owners, the Directors Guild of America and the Motion Picture Association. Movie theaters, the letter states, are in "dire straits" due to COVID-19. Cinemas closed their doors earlier this year as the pandemic spread across the country, with movie studios pushing back release dates for many films. Several chains have since reopened with limited capacity. The letter says 93 percent of movie theater companies suffered from more than 75 percent in losses in the second quarter.
