Petition Launched To Save The Prince Charles Cinema In Leicester Square

Last Updated 28 January 2025

Petition Launched To Save The Prince Charles Cinema In Leicester Square
A cinema lightbox reading "No, we are not changing our name"
The PCC's witty response to the coronation of the former Prince Charles. Photo: Matt Brown/Londonist

The Prince Charles Cinema (PCC) in Leicester Square could be forced to close.

The independent cinema is locked in a dispute with its landlords Zedwell LSQ Ltd and their parent company Criterion Capital, with the PCC claiming that they are demanding a rent which "no cinema proprietor would consider reasonable".

The cinema's current lease is due to expire in September 2025, and while there's no indication the lease won't be renewed, the PCC claims that the landlords wish to add in a break clause which would allow them to terminate the lease at six months’ notice at any time — effectively leaving the picturehouse under permanent threat of imminent closure.

An online petition has been launched to Save The Prince Charles Cinema, asking Zedwell LSQ Ltd to withdraw the break clause from the lease, and to negotiate a more reasonable rate of rent. At time of writing, it's already received 18,000 of its target 20,000 signatures, though we expect it'll far exceed that.

The word 'beloved' is thrown around liberally these days, but in the case of the PCC, it's absolutely warranted. Though it has just two screens, the cinema hosts upwards of 850 events a year including singalong screenings and all-nighters, bringing a quarter of a million people through its doors. Even those who've never set foot inside have been entertained by its witty messaging on the marquee outside.