The legendary Prince Charles Cinema is opening a second venue in east London
The off-Leicester Square cinema, a beloved fixture with movie-loving Londoners and famous fans like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, is planning a second venue in the space occupied by the now-shuttered Stratford Picturehouse.
'Stratford has always been a hub,' the Prince Charles's head of programming Paul Vickery tells The Guardian. 'There are plenty of students and loads of new-build properties that have sprung up recently. But it also feels like it's still trying to find its feet and figure out what it is.'
The PCC was faced with the threat of closure in January when its landlord's redevelopment plans came to light, but found some protection in being listed as an asset of community value (ACV) in May. But according to Vickery, the plans for a new venue are unconnected with those legal wranglings. 'Given what's happened this year, I understand how it could look like we're trying to shift operations but that's not what's happening,' he says.
'We were looking for a pre-existing venue that needed a bit of love which we could turn into a new site. Ideally, we'd want to go on to add a third or fourth space.'
The Prince Charles had previously looked at taking over Edinburgh's historic Filmhouse cinema, which reopened this summer under new management.
And the PCC isn't the only London indie cinema looking to expand. to remodel its existing cinema and is exploring a second site too.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
5 hours ago
- Time Out
The legendary Prince Charles Cinema is opening a second venue in east London
It's been a tumultuous 2025 at London's greatest cult picture house, but the Prince Charles Cinema (PCC) could be ending it on a high – with plans for a second venue in east London just announced. The off-Leicester Square cinema, a beloved fixture with movie-loving Londoners and famous fans like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, is planning a second venue in the space occupied by the now-shuttered Stratford Picturehouse. 'Stratford has always been a hub,' the Prince Charles's head of programming Paul Vickery tells The Guardian. 'There are plenty of students and loads of new-build properties that have sprung up recently. But it also feels like it's still trying to find its feet and figure out what it is.' The PCC was faced with the threat of closure in January when its landlord's redevelopment plans came to light, but found some protection in being listed as an asset of community value (ACV) in May. But according to Vickery, the plans for a new venue are unconnected with those legal wranglings. 'Given what's happened this year, I understand how it could look like we're trying to shift operations but that's not what's happening,' he says. 'We were looking for a pre-existing venue that needed a bit of love which we could turn into a new site. Ideally, we'd want to go on to add a third or fourth space.' The Prince Charles had previously looked at taking over Edinburgh's historic Filmhouse cinema, which reopened this summer under new management. And the PCC isn't the only London indie cinema looking to expand. to remodel its existing cinema and is exploring a second site too.
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
One of London's most iconic venues could be opening up another location
Amid an ongoing battle to save their historic cinema, talks of building a second location for the Prince Charles Cinema are reportedly underway. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the cinema, beloved by Hollywood directors, was being 'bullied into closure' over fears the billionaire landlord would redevelop the area. The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square said they have been 'intimidated' by landlord Zedwell LSQ in a row over their lease renewal. But the cinema's head of programming, Paul Vickery, said the potential new locations aren't the cinema trying to 'shift operations' as they fight for their existence in Leicester Square. He explains: 'We were looking for a pre-existing venue that needed a bit of love, which we could turn into a new site. Ideally, we'd want to go on to add a third or fourth space.' A potential new location for the indie cinema could soon pop up in East London – Stratford has been brought up in discussions. 'There are plenty of students and loads of new-build properties that have sprung up recently. But it also feels like Stratford is still trying to find its feet and figure out what it is,' Vickery added. But the fight to save the original cinema, which opened in 1962 and began showing films at discount prices years later, is far from over. Vickery said: 'You feel the responsibility, but in the best possible way. You're not just some pokey cinema in central London, what we do means something to people.' A petition to save the cinema, fittingly called 'Save the PCC', has already garnered over 165,000 signatures. The current lease for the building is meant to expire in September, but campaigners say the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1954 means they are entitled to a new lease. But the threat of closure comes at a time when the cinema has seen record numbers, with tickets sold at an 'unprecedented level of capacity'. Film-makers have praised the venue, with Quentin Tarantino describing it as 'Mecca for lovers of quality films'. John Waters, who directed the 1980s hit Hairspray, called it 'the most depraved and beautiful movie theatre in London'. More Trending Zedwell, which is controlled by billionaire property developer Asif Aziz, has reportedly demanded a new break clause which would require the cinema to vacate with a six-month notice if planning permission for redevelopment. The cinema claims this reveals their 'clear intention' to repurpose the building. 'Losing The Prince Charles Cinema would mean losing not just an iconic cultural institution, but also an engine for the economy of the West End that brings people from all over London and the surrounding area to watch films, shop and eat and drink,' Save the PCC said. Criterion Capital previously said in a statement: 'Bubble Chamber Limited has initiated lease renewal proceedings on Prince Charles Cinema and the landlord has responded in accordance with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Massive clean-up effort aims to pull 180 tons of wet wipes from River Thames MORE: LNER urges passengers 'do not travel' on East Coast rail line today MORE: Manhunt after woman repeatedly sexually assaulted on train in London
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- The Guardian
Prince Charles cinema looks to expand to second venue in east London
The Prince Charles cinema is planning to expand to a second site in the capital despite being locked in a battle over the future of its original location in central London. The independent cinema, which is known for showing a wide-ranging selection of cult films from across the history of cinema, has put in a bid to take over and reopen what was the Stratford Picturehouse in east London. The Prince Charles is in negotiations with Zedwell LSQ Ltd (which is owned by the developers Criterion Capital) over the future of the Leicester Square site, but wants to expand in what could be the first of several new outposts. 'Given what's happened this year, I understand how it could look like we're trying to shift operations but that's not what's happening,' said Paul Vickery, the cinema's head of programming. 'We were looking for a pre-existing venue that needed a bit of love which we could turn into a new site. Ideally, we'd want to go on to add a third or fourth space.' The Prince Charles had looked previously into taking over the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, which was forced to close in 2022 before it reopened in June this year after a refurbishment. Vickery thinks Stratford – an area that has undergone huge regeneration over the past decade, boosted by the Olympic legacy of London 2012 – could be an ideal place to open a new outpost. 'Stratford has always been a hub,' he said. 'There are plenty of students and loads of new-build properties that have sprung up recently. But it also feels like it's still trying to find its feet and figure out what it is.' The Prince Charles Cinema East would join other cultural institutions such as Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Sadler's Wells East and the V&A East Storehouse in that part of London, while the Theatre Royal Stratford East would be a nearby neighbour. The cinema has high-profile international fans, including the directors Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and John Waters. It was opened as a live theatre in 1962 and taken over as a repertory cinema in 1991 with cut-price seats. When news broke that the cinema could be forced out of its original location in Leicester Square, a petition against the move generated 100,000 signatures in a single day. Vickery said: 'The response was so humbling, I knew we'd have a load of interest in helping us out but the volume of support and speed with which it spread was a surprise. 'You feel the responsibility but in the best possible way. You're not just some pokey cinema in central London, what we do means something to people.'
