Prince Charles Cinema Venue 'Saved' After Lease Extension Signed

The London-based institution, which has been threatened with closure since January 2025, has secured an uninterrupted 25-year lease with its current landlords. In a social media post titled 'You Saved PCC,' the cinema said that 'after 21 months of uncertainty, we are delighted to have secured our future.'

The famous Prince Charles cinema in London's Leicester Square has announced that it is out of danger of closure after signing a new 25-year lease with its landlords.

In a social media post titled "You saved PCC", the cinema said that "after 21 months of uncertainty, we are delighted to have secured the cinema's future" and that they had "signed a new 25-year lease with no break clauses which ensures our projectors will continue to operate for years to come."

Cinema also appreciated the "support, commitment and belief of many people".

In January 2025, Prince Charles filed a lawsuit alleging that its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd (owned by developer Criterion Capital), was trying to "kick us out of the building" by asking for a break clause in its lease, due to be renewed in September 2025. The break clause if Zedwell activates the program for another six months. At the time, Criterion Capital denied trying to intimidate or harm the cinema.

However, the news was widely welcomed by film fans and industry figures including actor Paul Mescall and directors Danny Boyle, Robert Eggers, Christopher Nolan and Edgar Wright.

The building opened as a live theater in 1962, but was converted into a cinema in 1969 after being bought by the Star Cinema chain, subsequently showing adult films. In 1991 it was taken over as a repertory cinema with cheap seats.In May 2025, The Prince Charles was designated as a valuable community asset by Westminster City Council.

Prince Charles owner Ben Friedman said in a statement: “Our cinema is of great value to our team, audiences and the wider arts community. Having this security gives us the confidence to invest in the future of cinema and continue to provide a home for film lovers. We are pleased to have reached an agreement that benefits both parties and, most importantly, allows us to trust The Real Princess and look to the future. Cinema.”

Waqas Farooq, managing director of Criterion Capital, said: "We are pleased to have agreed terms that secure [Prince Charles'] future... I am particularly pleased that we have been able to work together on a complex set of issues and find a solution that is fair to both parties. The 25-year commitment provides real security for the cinema and its fans, and we will enjoy our partnership for many years to come.” Farooq added that the owners plan to create a hotel on the upper floors of the building.

Tenancy issues are also behind a threat to another key independent cinema, the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford, whose landlord, Oxford University's Oriel College, is refusing to renew its current lease in 2037.