Prince Charles cinema appears to be like to broaden to second venue in east London | London

The Prince Charles cinema is planning to broaden to a second website within the capital regardless of being locked in a battle over the way forward for its authentic location in central London.

The unbiased cinema, which is thought for exhibiting a wide-ranging collection of cult movies from throughout the historical past 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 builders Criterion Capital) over the way forward for the Leicester Sq. website, however desires to broaden in what might be the primary of a number of new outposts.

“Given what’s occurred this yr, I perceive the way it may appear like we’re attempting to shift operations however that’s not what’s occurring,” stated Paul Vickery, the cinema’s head of programming.

“We had been on the lookout for a pre-existing venue that wanted a bit of affection which we may flip into a brand new website. Ideally, we’d wish to go on so as to add a 3rd or fourth house.”

The Prince Charles had seemed beforehand into taking on the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, which was compelled to shut in 2022 earlier than it reopened in June this yr after a refurbishment.

Vickery thinks Stratford – an space that has undergone big regeneration over the previous decade, boosted by the Olympic legacy of London 2012 – might be a great place to open a brand new outpost.

“Stratford has all the time been a hub,” he stated. “There are many college students and a great deal of new-build properties which have sprung up not too long ago. But it surely additionally feels prefer it’s nonetheless looking for its toes and determine what it’s.”

The Prince Charles Cinema East would be a part of different cultural establishments comparable to Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Sadler’s Wells East and the V&A East Storehouse in that a part of London, whereas the Theatre Royal Stratford East can be a close-by neighbour.

The cinema has high-profile worldwide followers, together with the administrators Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and John Waters. It was opened as a stay theatre in 1962 and brought over as a repertory cinema in 1991 with cut-price seats.

When information broke that the cinema might be compelled out of its authentic location in Leicester Sq., a petition in opposition to the transfer generated 100,000 signatures in a single day.

Vickery stated: “The response was so humbling, I knew we’d have a load of curiosity in serving to us out however the quantity of assist and pace with which it unfold was a shock.

“You are feeling the duty however in the very best approach. You’re not just a few pokey cinema in central London, what we do means one thing to folks.”