The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FUSION Superplex has pushed back against complaints about deteriorating conditions at its eight-year-old entertainment complex, with its legal officer describing the claims as “a great exaggeration” while acknowledging normal wear and tear at the facility.

The defence comes as patrons have complained about the condition and cleanliness of some theatres, limited concession offerings and the continued inability to buy tickets online.

Fusion legal officer Tecoyo Bridgewater said yesterday the complex remains in strong condition despite approaching eight years in operation.

“Deterioration is a great exaggeration,” Mr Bridgewater said.

“We have been open for eight years this November,” he said, “and as with all buildings and businesses, fair wear and tear creeps in.”

Mr Bridgewater said the facility nevertheless remains superior to many cinemas internationally and within the region.

His comments come as Fusion prepares for what it expects will be a busy weekend after finally securing Spider-Man: Brand New Day for screening beginning Friday following further negotiations with Sony Pictures.

The film will be shown in IMAX.

Fusion had initially been unable to secure the movie for its August 7 release date, despite saying its account with Sony Pictures was in good standing and there was no outstanding balance.

Mr Bridgewater said yesterday further negotiations with Sony had since succeeded, although Fusion still does not know why it was unable to obtain the film for its original release week.

He said bookings are handled on a film-by-film basis and ultimately depend on the distributor.

Fusion, one of the country’s largest cinema and entertainment complexes, operates nine screens, including an IMAX theatre.

Mr Bridgewater said the company is confident in the condition of the facility ahead of the expected increase in patrons this weekend.

“IMAX is the home of Spider-Man,” he said. “There is not a better way to watch it, so of course we are confident in our conditions.”

The expected crowds will arrive while Fusion’s online ticketing system remains unavailable to customers, requiring patrons to purchase tickets at the box office.

The company previously said its cyber attack forced the online ticketing platform offline as a precaution and disrupted several key operating systems.

Fusion later said most systems were restored with assistance from BTC, but online ticket purchasing has remained unavailable.

Mr Bridgewater apologised for the prolonged disruption and said the problem is no longer with Fusion’s own ticketing system.

“The cyberattack had a critical impact on our server and online ticketing system,” Mr Bridgewater said, adding that BTC and its cyber team helped Fusion restore most of its systems and that the company’s side of the online ticketing platform has now been restored.

However, he said a recently upgraded third-party banking system has caused further delays.

“We are working diligently with our bank and team testing the platform to get this resolved,” Mr Bridgewater said. “In the coming month, we should be back online.”

Fusion is also preparing for the possibility of electricity disruptions as New Providence continues to experience frequent power outages.

Mr Bridgewater said the company has scheduled generator changeovers during weekends to avoid interruptions during periods of peak voltage demand.

He said the arrangement is also intended to reduce Fusion’s demand on Bahamas Power and Light’s grid during peak periods.

He said the company intends “to work along with BPL to be good corporate citizens, taking a load off of the grid”.