Odeon plans new Luxe cinema openings ahead of bumper film release season

Odeon has said it will open a string of its upmarket, so-called Luxe cinemas this year, amid hopes of a bumper second half of 2024 for film releases.

The UK’s largest cinema chain will launch Luxe venues – featuring reclining seats and, in some cases, VIP beds with enough space for three people to lie down – in Peterborough, Norwich and Uxbridge, as part of a cash injection into its cinema estate.

The Peterborough venue, set over 25,000 sq ft, is a new opening with eight screens, while Norwich and Uxbridge are refurbishments to existing cinema sites.

Odeon said the investment was partly in anticipation of a strong period for blockbuster releases, with several hotly anticipated movies coming out in the same period because of movie industry strikes last year.

Disney’s title Inside Out 2, which had its UK release last month, is expected to be Odeon’s most successful animated film since the pandemic, the cinema chain said.

Meanwhile, film-goers are expected to flock to screenings of big releases including Gladiator II, Deadpool & Wolverine and Joker in the latter months of 2024.

Odeon, which has about 280 cinemas across Europe and is owned by US giant AMC Theatres, did not include a figure for how much it was spending on the openings.

It comes as rival Cineworld was reported on Tuesday to be in talks with its commercial landlords about its plans to axe up to a quarter of its UK cinema estate.

Sky News reported on Tuesday that landlords including Landsec and Legal & General were in discussions with the firm about a restructuring plan.

Suzie Welch, Odeon’s UK managing director, said: “We are delighted to have made a series of investments into expanding and upgrading our cinema estate and can’t wait to welcome guests to discover our best-in-class experience.

“These refurbishments reflect our long-term commitment to building our reputation as a trusted and valued tenant of choice for our landlords as well as our relentless focus on making movies better by driving innovation in the big-screen experience.”