Odeon
Latest
Inside Dolby and Odeon's mission to revive a British cinematic icon
Trips to the movies are just the worst, with exorbitant prices, endless trailers, bad seats and, of course, the other people. Attendances in the UK are flat and dwindling in the US as more folks choose to stay at home. As gimmicks like 3D fizzle, the cinema industry may be waking up to the fact that it needs to up its game -- or become second fiddle to Netflix. Which is probably why a British cinema chain decided to team up with Dolby to revive a once-loved "Cathedral of the movies."
The UK's first Dolby Cinema to open in London
London's iconic Odeon Leicester Square cinema has already firmly established itself in the silver screen history books, having hosted more than 700 film premieres since its opening in 1937. Now, it's getting another accolade. Following an 11-month, multi-million pound refurbishment, the cinema will re-open its doors this Christmas, complete with the UK's very first Dolby Cinema.
Over a million Brits have reserved seats for 'Star Wars'
If you hadn't noticed already, the world is riding a megatsunami of hype over the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- or every nook and cranny of the internet is, at least. The movie has just premiered in the States, and will be debuting in the UK this Thursday to a record-breaking audience. Last week, cinema chain Vue said it'd already sold 290,000 tickets for the flick, but new figures from The Hollywood Reporter now put that total at over 355,000. Odeon has also fielded around 500,000 bookings, according to the UK Cinema Association, and taking other theatres into account the new Star Wars has definitely smashed the UK pre-sales record with "way beyond 1 million" reserved cinema seats.
Odeon cinemas to play F1 races in HD
Not everyone has an incredible home cinema, but in the UK at least that won't get in the way of a premium high definition experience while watching Lewis Hamilton tear up the F1 circuit. After a test run showing the British Grand Prix last year, Odeon Cinemas is working with Formula One Management to show ten races this season in 25 locations, live and without commercial breaks. The international HD feed and Dolby Surround 5.1 audio will be in full effect, no word on how many quid, pence or pounds this costs but at least it's one way to avoid seeing Sex & the City for the 5th time this weekend.
