Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching films.

Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Viggo Mortensen were among those invited to the private Vatican audience, along with award-winning directors Spike Lee, Gus Van Sant and Sally Potter.

Leo, the first US pope, said cinema was a vital “workshop of hope” at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload.

“Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods,” he added.

“More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity.”

Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the Covid shutdown.