THE Astoria in Chippenham is one of the few cinemas back open in Wiltshire.

It has had a refit during lockdown, and has had extensive building work to improve the sound proofing between the screens.

But lockdown has meant some of the summer blockbusters and new releases haven’t yet made it to the projection room.

“We have re opened in the past few weeks and shown things like The Empire Strikes Back and the Dark Knight Trilogy,” said cinema manager Will McGuire.

“We now have Inception and Bohemian Rhapsody - and a whole load of kids films for the summer break.

“But the big blockbuster, Tennet, which is the new Chris Nolan spy thriller, along with quite a few other new releases have been delayed because of lockdown.

“We hope to get Tennet by the end of August, hopefully.”

The Marshfield Road cinema - which is owned by the Reel group of independent cinemas has brought in a range of safety measures to allow groups to book while still maintaining social distancing.

“We have a range of safety measures in place including online booking encouraged, which allows customers to choose their seats and provide track and trace information,” said Will

The seats around them will automatically be blocked out so that they are socially distanced inside the screen.

The cinema is also using a zoona spray across the cinema which stays on the surfaces for 30 days and kills any Covid that lands on it.

“It’s been a delight to see families return to our screens and enjoy their favourite movies!” said Will.

The Trowbridge Odeon is still closed as is the Palace Cinema at Devizes.

Last week, Marlborough got the news it was waiting for with planning permission being granted for a new screen to be built in an old chapel building in The Parade.

Developers hope to start construction this Summer with a view to opening the 120 seater independent theatre next year.

Once open, the cinema will feature blockbusters, classics and family films along with satellite screenings of opera and theatre direct from places like Covent Garden.

Marlborough’s last cinema was in the High Street, on the site of what is now the Waitrose supermarket, which opened in 1929 and closed in 1943.