Yahoo Finance Picturehouse Confirms Closure of Historic Fulham Road & Bromley Cinemas As Parent Cineworld Explores Options For UK Operations
Picturehouse, the UK boutique cinema arm of ailing global exhibitor Cineworld, has officially confirmed the closure of two historic UK venues that it revamped prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The distributor and exhibitor announced the closure of its Fulham Road theater on July 11 in an email to members of its loyalty scheme.
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Titled “A fond farewell to Fulham Road”, the message read: “We’re very sorry to announce that we’ve made the tough decision to close Fulham Road Picturehouse from Thursday 11 July. Between now and then, you can contine to enjoy all the cinema has to offer.”
The mail-out comes just two days after the company confirmed on its X account that its Bromley Picturehouse theater in outer London would be closing on August 1.
We're very sorry to announce that we've made the tough decision to close Bromley Picturehouse from Thu 1 Aug. Between now and then, you can continue to enjoy all we have to offer – we hope to see you in the cinema soon.
❤️ If you're a Member, we'll be in touch in due course. pic.twitter.com/RZPD4oMAzp— Bromley Picturehouse (@Bromley_PH) June 24, 2024
The announcements follow news in early June that Cineworld is exploring options for its UK business that could include a potential sale or restructuring.
According to a Sky News report, Cineworld has enlisted AlixPartners, which helped the exhibitor navigate Chapter 11 in the U.S. in the wake of its pandemic era losses.
Neither Picturehouse nor Alix Partners have responded to questions for an update on future plans for Cineworld’s UK assets or whether other cinema closures are on the cards.
Both cinema theatres are listed buildings dating back to the 1930s as well as well-known and much loved venues within their respective locations.
Picturehouse took over management of both venues from Cineworld in 2019 and set in motion high-end revamps to return them to their 1930s glory.
The company failed to reap the benefits of the ambitious scheme with the Covid-19 pandemic shutting down the entire exhibition sector just months after the beautifully restored venues re-opened for business.
The future of both theaters is unclear.
Martin’s Properties, which owns the Fulham Road Picturehouse building, told Deadline that the closure was due to the “severe challenges” faced by the UK cinema industry.
The locally-based property company, which recently applied for an entertainment licence for the site, said it was exploring several options for the building in the future.
“We are committed to securing a long-term future for this building and are already in discussions with officers at Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council,” it said in a written statement.
“We are still at the early stages of this exercise and will consult our neighbours and the wider community before bringing forward any proposals. However, among our priorities will be to preserve and protect the Art Deco façade of the building on Fulham Road, and we are also exploring options for retaining some cinema use.”
In Bromley, news of the imminent closure has sparked a local campaign for the venue to remain open.
Including the Fulham Road and Bromley cinemas, the Picturehouse circuit comprises 28 theaters across the UK.
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