Empire Cinemas
Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Leisure, Entertainment & refreshments |
Founded | 2005 |
Defunct | 2023 |
Fate | Administration, folded into Omniplex Cinemas |
Successor | Omniplex Cinemas |
Number of locations | 5 (July 2023) |
Products | Tickets, popcorn, alcohol, drinks & confectionery |
Website | www |
Empire Cinemas Limited was a multiplex cinema chain in the UK. Prior to the company entering administration in July 2023, there were 13 Empire Cinemas across the country, with 128 screens in total.
Ownership and management
The ultimate beneficial owner of Empire Cinemas Ltd was
History
The Empire was originally a cinema in Leicester Square in London which opened in 1884 as the Empire Theatre and was a West End variety theatre, designed by Thomas Verity.
Empire Cinemas Limited was formed in 2005 when Empire acquired the cinemas divested from
In July 2016, the company sold five cinemas, including the flagship in Leicester Square, to Cineworld for £94 million.[2] The cinemas transferred to Cineworld cinemas on 12 August 2016.[3] In June 2017 the Newcastle upon Tyne cinema was also sold to Cineworld cinemas.[4]
In March 2020, Empire Cinemas and all other cinemas in the UK closed temporarily due to a national lockdown in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
On 7 July 2023, Empire Cinemas entered administration with the immediate closure of six cinemas.[6] The remaining five cinemas continued to trade under the Empire Cinemas name until 4 December 2023, when the rest of Empire Cinemas was acquired by Omniplex Cinemas, with it dissolving in the process.[7]
Magazine
Empire, in conjunction with cinema chain Showcase, published Escape, a bi-monthly customer magazine that was distributed freely at 50 cinemas. It contained film reviews, interviews and competitions.[8]
Former locations
Location | Screens | Notes |
---|---|---|
Bishop’s Stortford
|
6 | Permanently closed in July 2023, due to entering administration.[6] |
Birmingham (Great Park) | 13 | Standard and Premium Seating in all screens, 1 former luxury screen and 1 IMAX screen seating 422 plus 4 wheelchairs. Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in December 2023.[7] |
Catterick Garrison | 7 | Includes an IMPACT screen. Recliners, sofas and standard seating available in every screen. Permanently closed in July 2023.[6] |
Clydebank | 10 | Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in December 2023.[7] |
High Wycombe | 8 | Sofa and electric recliner seating added in Screens 3 & 4 in 2018. Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in December 2023.[7] |
Ipswich | 14 | Includes 2 IMPACT screens and 2 D-BOX screens. Opened 31 March 2017.[9] Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in December 2023.[7] |
London – Haymarket
|
3 | Acquired in exchange as part of the sale of five cinemas to Cineworld. Under Empire control from 7 April 2017. Permanently closed in May 2023. |
Slough | 10 | 1 luxury screen, 1 IMPACT screen. Permanently closed in December 2022.[10] |
Sunderland | 12 | Including VIP seating. Permanently closed in July 2023. Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in February 2024[6][11] |
Sutton | 12 | Reopened on February 13, 2018 after an extensive refurbishment. Now features 2 IMPACT screens, and 2 D-Box screens. Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in December 2023.[7] |
Sutton Coldfield | 4 | Closed during COVID-19 lockdown in November 2020. Purchase by PDJ Management Ltd announced in December 2023.[12][13] |
Swindon | 12 | 1 IMAX screen installed in 2017. Permanently closed in July 2023. Reopened as Vue in December 2023.[6] |
Walthamstow | 9 | Opened 20 November 2014. Permanently closed in July 2023.[6] |
Wigan | 11 | Opened in 1996 as Virgin Cinemas before being taken over by UGC, Cineworld and then Empire. Permanently closed in July 2023. Acquired by Omniplex Cinemas in March 2024[6][14] |
Ealing site controversy
Empire Cinemas closed its
On 29 May 2012, Ealing Council's leader wrote to Empire to inform them that compulsory purchase proceedings would now start.[18] On 2 June 2012, Empire Cinemas released a statement to the press,[19] announcing that Clarkebond (a consultancy owned by Empire's parent company, Inspiration Holdings) had been appointed to manage the construction, which would now start in "August 2012"; and that the finished cinema would open in "early 2014". As of 3 October 2012, construction had still not started and Empire changed the start date listed on their website from "August" to "August/September". As of 18 October 2012, any reference to a start date has been removed from the web site. On 19 October 2012, construction and excavation vehicles were seen in operation on the cinema site, however as of July 2015 no further building work had commenced.
Ealing Council served a
References
- ^ Sweney, Mark (21 April 2010). "STV sells Pearl & Dean to Thomas Anderson". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Cineworld buys five cinemas from Empire for £94m". Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "IT'S A WRAP". empirecinemas.co.uk.
- ^ Hodgson, Barbara (14 June 2017). "Empire Newcastle is taken over by Cineworld cinema". nechronicle. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ "Closure of Cinemas". Empire Cinemas. March 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Taaffe-Maguire, Sarah (7 July 2023). "Full list of Empire Cinema closures as firm enters administration". Sky News. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Ntim, Zac (4 December 2023). "Ireland's Omniplex Cinema Group Sets UK Expansion With Purchase Of Five Empire Cinema Locations". Deadline.
- ^ "Summersault Communications brings together national cinema chains with new look publication". APA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "EMPIRE CINEMAS TO ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET IN IPSWICH". Empire Cinemas. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^ Waites, Daisy (9 December 2022). "Slough cinema confirms sudden closure amid town redevelopment plans". Slough Observer.
- ^ https://www.sunderlandecho.com/business/omniplex-advertise-for-sunderland-manager-after-lease-agreed-with-new-cinema-operator-4546005.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Collis, Emily (7 July 2023). "Sutton Coldfield cinema fate announced as Empire falls into administration". Birmingham Live.
- ^ "Sutton Coldfield’s Empire Cinema bought and set to be restored and reopened" Birmingham Live, 22 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/wigans-huge-multiplex-cinema-to-re-open-4541219.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Cinema boss grilled by councillors over stalled development". Ealing Gazette. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ "Is this the end of Empire?". Ealing Today. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ^ "Work to begin in six weeks on new Ealing cinema". Ealing Gazette. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ "Letter from Ealing Council's leader to Empire Cinemas to inform them that compulsory purchase proceedings will now start". Ealing Council. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Cinemainfo for Ealing". Empire Cinemas. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ Horrox, Camilla (18 July 2014). "Council serves CPO to enable £100million 'cultural quarter' in Ealing". Get West London. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ Horrox, Camilla (23 July 2014). "Ealing faces three more years without a cinema despite council stepping in". Get West London. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ Horrox, Camila (16 April 2015). "Inquiry under way into CPO of Ealing's beleaguered cinema site". Get West London. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ Morby, Aaron (14 October 2015). "Ealing £100m cinema-led scheme set for approval". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ Razaq, Rashid (19 December 2016). "Ealing to finally get cinema as part of £100m regeneration". Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
External links