The Prince Charles Cinema – the only independent cinema in central London – is to reopen in October following a prolonged closure due to Covid-19

Lead image: facebook.com/PrinceCharlesCinema

Leicester Square is known for its glossy film premieres and big cinema chains like Odeon, Vue and Empire, but The Prince Charles Cinema – the only independent big screen in central London – has long held its own against the heavyweights.

Following the shock news that Cineworld is to temporarily close all its cinemas due to the delayed release dates of blockbusters like Bond film No Time To Die, The Prince Charles has defied the odds to announce its reopening date.

The cinema, which shows arthouse and classic films alongside recent Hollywood releases, is planning to open its doors from Tuesday 13 October, during the BFI London Film Festival.

In a post on Facebook, The Prince Charles Cinema said: ‘Thankfully we’ve never been a cinema that has relied on the bigger releases to get us through the year; although we catch a break every now and then when a Mandy, a Parasite or an Uncut Gems breaks through and packs the house for weeks on end.’

The post goes on to say: ‘But with our doors being closed since March the key to our survival has been YOU. Over the weekend we passed a huge milestone; 4,000 pre-sale tickets sold for our forthcoming programme! […] We simply can’t believe how much you have all rallied around to support us.’

Screening on 13 October will be Mogul Mowgli, directed by Bassam Tariq and starring Riz Ahmed, as well as Shirley, directed by Josephine Decker and starring Elisabeth Moss, both showing as part of the BFI London Film Festival 2020.

Also booking now for November screenings are Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s brand new time-bending thriller, accompanied by his 2014 sci-fi epic, Interstellar (click here to book).

The reopening announcement on Facebook signs off with: ‘We feel missed. We feel loved. We feel supported. And we will do our best to continue on for as long as we possibly can.’

Face masks at the ready, it’s time for a trip to the cinema…

7 Leicester Place, West End WC2H 7BY; princecharlescinema.com