Save the Prince Charles Cinema: Beloved London venue faces threat of closure

Last week, Prince Charles Cinema (PCC), a cult picture house just off Leicester Square, announced its potential closure.

This comes amid a dispute with landlords Zedwell LSQ Ltd, and parent company, Criterion Capital.

Efforts to renew its lease (the current one due to expire this September) have been challenged by the imposition of a break clause and an exorbitant rent increase – one which, according to a PCC spokesperson, “no cinema proprietor would consider reasonable”. This clause, if enacted, would see the cinema under persistent threat of imminent closure, permitting lease termination with only six months’ notice. 

In jeopardy is a sacred site of loitering Letterboxd junkies, two-hour attempts at self-reinvention, insufferable Hinge dates, and a third space of 35mm and dim sum around the corner. Post-credits Tao Tao Ju anyone?

In all its charm, PCC is such an asset to the community, one of the very few that make trudging through purgatory (Oxford and Piccadilly Circus) worth it.

This sentiment resonates widely, and students in the area are also weighing in. A Goldsmiths student said: “The Prince Charles is hands down my favourite cinema in London.”

He then reminisced upon “great memories with friends” having attended a screening of The Room, where “everyone in the audience had brought wooden spoons along and, as per tradition, threw them at the screen after every iconic line.”

He added: “The Prince Charles is the only cinema where I’ve had these sorts of experiences and it allows us to enjoy films in such a unique way.” 

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Additionally, UCL English student Carolina Mendonça said: “Prince Charles Cinema allows me to see my favourite films in the comfort of a cinema.”

She also echoed the claim that “it has something no other place can offer,” attesting to the PCC’s unique appeal.

Debuting as a live theatre in 1962, then converting to a cinema in 1969, the PCC has been servicing metropolitan “film bros” for nearly six decades. It retains its original theatrical charm, with screens adorned in traditional red curtains and surrounding warm uplights. A visit to the PCC breathes nostalgia for bygone times, enveloped by a black and white spectacle ahead. 

Screening more than 40 films each week, the cinema boasts an eclectic program spanning new releases, classics, cult favourites, and independent cinema. It also offers distinct experiences like overnight movie marathons – featuring David Lynch and Wong Kar-Wai anthologies – as well as mystery staff picks. It truly is an inimitable space, and its closure would mark what The Telegraph deems a “cultural vandalism”.   

PCC Managing Director Ben Freedman gave a statement, claiming that the landlord’s refusal to negotiate a new lease, alongside demands for a redevelopment clause, plainly signals that they “are not interested in seeing The Prince Charles Cinema continue to thrive.”

He further warned: “If the landlord decides to redevelop the site, The Prince Charles Cinema will be lost forever.”

Beyond the immediate struggle of the PCC, this dispute also spotlights broader concerns affecting independent venues throughout urban London. With soaring property prices and corporate chains monopolising the entertainment sector, local businesses are frequently the first to come under pressure. The looming closure of the PCC speaks to the wider necessity of safeguarding independent spaces, contributing alternative cultural expressions in the face of corporate homogenisation. 

Since this information has gone public, an online petition to save the cinema has garnered over 144,000 signatures. The cause has quickly amassed overwhelming support from a community of film enthusiasts, as well as endorsements from big names like Paul Mescal, Edgar Wright, and Joe Alwyn. Industry heavyweights like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson have also praised the cinema for its input in film culture. 

With negotiations still ongoing, we can only hope and continue to advocate for the future of this cherished venue. So, lace up your Doc Martens and make your way over, ticket and popcorn in hand, come what may.

The Prince Charles Cinema and Criterion Capital have been contacted for comment but have not yet responded.