London’s legendary Leicester Square picturehouse is facing possible redevelopment and could be forced to close. A petition to save one of the UK’s best-loved cinemas and the last independent cinema operating in London’s West End has gained more than 11,000 signatures already.
Since opening in 1962, London’s Prince Charles Cinema has received cult status among film lovers – including the likes of Quentin Tarantino, John Waters and Paul Thomas Anderson, who said that it has “a place in my heart.”
“It’s the people, the programming, the accessibility, feeling, texture… you cannot go wrong. You also know that on any given day, you can close your eyes, press your finger to the programme, and you’ll hit something great. It’s like tuning into your favourite radio station,” said PTA.
Known for its arthouse screenings, off-beat line-ups and midnight marathons, the PCC continued to thrive as a haven for cinephiles and genre fanatics.
However, the treasured picturehouse could be faced with closure, despite its popularity and 2024 marking its highest number of ticket sales for a second year in a row. The last independent cinema operating in London’s West End hosted around 850 films and events and attracted more than 250,000 customers. All without any public funding.
According to the PCC, its landlords, Zedwell LSQ Ltd and parent company Criterion Capital, “have demanded the inclusion of a break clause in our new lease”, demanding rent far above market rates which “no cinema proprietor would consider reasonable”.
If the new clause is triggered, it would allow the landlords to evict the operators with just six months’ notice.
Fearing its landlord is plotting a redevelopment of the site, the Prince Charles said: “We believe that these tactics amount to an attempt by the landlord and Criterion Capital to use their significant financial resources to intimidate us, regardless of our legal entitlement.”
The PCC added: “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. This would have repercussions way beyond the building itself.”
The cinema plans to launch legal proceedings “in order to secure renewal at market rate and safety from any redevelopment projects.” It is also asking customers and fans to sign a petition to Save The Prince Charles Cinema – a petition which counts just shy of 12,000 signatures at the time of writing.
Check out the petition here and #SaveThePCC.
