After more than six months of struggles amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollywood issued a dire message about the state of the movie theater industry — the nation’s cinemas “may not survive” without help.

Groups representing movie studios, theater owners and directors on Wednesday called on Washington lawmakers to provide “specific relief” for film exhibitors, saying that nearly 70% of small and mid-sized theater companies would be forced to declare bankruptcy or go out of businesses without government assistance.

Dozens of famous filmmakers, including Judd Apatow, James Cameron, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Jordan Peele, Wes Anderson, Clint Eastwood and Ang Lee, signed a letter calling on the federal government to provide support for the industry, which remains shuttered in much of the country.

The National Assn. of Theatre Owners (NATO), the Washington-based organization that stumps for exhibitors, sent the letter, which was addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). The Motion Picture Assn., the lobby representing the major film studios, joined NATO in signing the letter, as did the Directors Guild of America.

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