What to know
- A sudden, unplanned power outage around 8:15 p.m. left moviegoers in darkness for nearly an hour at a Toronto cinema, interrupting multiple screenings mid-film.
- The theatre said the outage was caused by its landlord and was outside its control, with some movies resuming later but skipping to near the end and playing without sound.
- Cineplex confirmed automatic refunds for online or app purchases, while in-person ticket holders were advised to contact guest services or return to the theatre.
- Social media users described frustrating experiences, safety concerns due to lack of lighting, and incomplete films, with some leaving early after waiting for updates.
A theatre-wide power outage left movie-goers sitting in darkness for almost an hour at a Toronto cinema, with films turning back on near the end of their run times.
On Wednesday, at around 8:15 p.m., those watching a movie at Scotiabank Theatre were abruptly brought out of the immersion when screens turned off due a power outage the owners of the theatre said was not scheduled.
“There was an unplanned outage that happened with our landlord RioCan which was unfortunately out of our control,” Cineplex Entertainment told Now Toronto in an email. “We understand the frustration this may have caused our guests as we worked to get everything back up and running.”
One attendee on social media said the movie eventually resumed, but not at the original part it turned off at.
“The screen started playing without sound,” the Reddit user wrote.
Another attendee, who did not want to be named, told Now Toronto she was watching a premiere of the horror movie “They Will Kill You” when the outage happened. She added when the movie appeared again around 45 minutes later, it played the ending scene while muted, before credits rolled.
Cineplex said guests who purchased tickets online or through our app will be refunded automatically. The company advises they keep an eye out for an email confirmation confirming their money back.
Any guests who bought tickets in theatre have been advised to contact guest services or visit Scotiabank Theatre for a refund.
Online reaction
While waiting for their films to begin again, some opted to speak about the experience on social media.
One Reddit user said they had been watching Canadian actor Ryan Gosling’s new movie, Project Hail Mary, when the screen went black but the sound continued.
“Terrible experience, we’ve been hearing Project Hail Mary for 20 mins in complete darkness,” they said. “I heard [it happened] in all [the] screening rooms??”
“Happened right when Sign of the Times karaoke started in Project Hail Mary. Someone who hates Harry Styles pulled the plug on the projector,” another Reddit user joked.
Another Reddit user shared that they weren’t happy.
“We stayed in the theatre for about 30 minutes waiting to see if they’ll get it back up and eventually an employee comes in and tells us they don’t think they’ll be able to get it back up today…so everyone just left…half way through,” they shared. “…Kind of sick about this, I can’t lie lol.”
Some Reddit users in another thread noted the theatres lacked emergency lights, and were hazards when the power was out.
“That’s crazy their backup generators didn’t kick on for at least lighting,” said one Reddit user.
Another agreed, noting the severity of the situation.
“This is really bad, people can get injured, easy to twist an ankle.”
“Sorry to everyone who couldn’t finish their movie,” said another Reddit user.
