Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has said that movie-going is facing a real threat of extinction.
Her new superhero movie has been delayed three times during the coronavirus pandemic.
Jenkins is among dozens of top Hollywood directors appealing to the US government to provide a financial lifeline to cinemas.
Her warning comes as cinemas in the UK are also struggling with a recent spate of delayed film releases.
"If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process," she said in an interview with Reuters news agency. "We could lose movie theatre-going forever."
Cinemas across the world are struggling financially with tough Covid-19 social restrictions limiting customers, along with a lack of blockbuster movies to attract them.
In the US, the National Association of Theatre Owners said 69% of small and mid-sized cinema companies could be forced to file for bankruptcy or shut down permanently.
America is the world's biggest movie market in terms of box office revenues, with China catching up rapidly.
Jenkins said widespread closures would lead Hollywood studios to stop investing in films for cinemas, and turn to online streaming instead.