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2019 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

6. The Multiplex is Consolidated in Britain

Author : Stuart Hanson

Published in: Screening the World

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

As the number of sites increase year on year after 1985, Hanson explores the growth of the multiplex and the megaplex cinema in Britain, accounting for a reversal in the downward spiral of cinema attendance as a result of their introduction. In doing so, Chap.​ 6 considers the complex patterns of ownership and volatile nurture of the British market, as the existing exhibition duopoly of Cannon and Odeon is first challenged by US operators such as American Multi-Cinema (AMC), Warner Bros., and National Amusements before this initial wave of US companies either leave the British market or are bought out by domestic and European exhibitors such as United Cinemas International (UCI), Virgin, and Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC). Finally, Hanson comes up to date by outlining the current domination of the market by three exhibitors: Odeon, Cineworld, and Vue.

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Footnotes
1
See Stuart Hanson, “The Rise of the Multiplex,” in The Routledge Companion to British Cinema History, eds. I.Q. Hunter, Laraine Porter, and Justin Smith (London: Routledge, 2017).
 
2
“United Kingdom Cinema Market,” Screen Digest (July, 1991), 158.
 
3
Dodona, Cinemagoing 9 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2001), 47.
 
4
Dodona, Cinemagoing 15 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2006), 23.
 
5
“Rank Aims for 200 Odeon Screens in 75 Locations with Expansion Plans,” Screen International 601 (23 May, 1987), 22.
 
6
Dodona, Cinemagoing 4 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 1995), 29.
 
7
Ibid., 29.
 
8
In 1994, Paramount Communications was purchased by Viacom International, which was owned by Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements. Universal was purchased by the French company Vivendi in 2000 to create Vivendi Universal.
 
9
It also managed two central London sites, the Empire and The Plaza, for CIC.
 
10
Dodona, Cinemagoing 9, 64.
 
11
“UCI Opening 8-plex, London’s First Multi,” Variety 337, no. 7 (22 November, 1989), 17.
 
12
“Cannon to Close Seven City Screens,” Screen International 661 (16 July, 1988), 2.
 
13
Celia Duncan, “10 Years of UCI: If You Build It, They Will Come,” Screen International 1026 (22 September, 1995), 28.
 
14
Office of Fair Trading, Acquisition by Terra Firma Investments GP. 2 Ltd of United Cinemas International UK. Limited and Cinema International Corporation UK. Limited, 7 January 2005. https://​assets.​publishing.​service.​gov.​uk/​media/​555de40540f0b669​c40000fb/​terra.​pdf (accessed 8 August, 2016).
 
15
Ibid., para. 39.
 
16
Dodona, Cinemagoing 12 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2004).
 
17
Joseph Cotterill and Murad Ahmed, “AMC to buy Odeon from Terra Firma for £921m,” Financial Times, 12 July, 2016.
 
18
See Robert Marich, “Cannon Special: Focus Cannon Group,” Variety 332, no. 11 (5 October, 1998): 49–51.
 
19
Philip Turner, Cannon Cinemas: An Outline History (St. Paul’s Cray: Brantwood Books, 1997).
 
20
See Turner, MGM Cinemas.
 
21
“Multiplex Cinemas: Growth is Far from Over,” Screen Digest (February, 1995), 36–7.
 
22
Ralf Ludemann, “Exhibition,” Screen International 891 (22 January, 1993), 13.
 
23
Monopolies and Mergers Commission, Films: A Report on the Supply of Films for Exhibition in Cinemas in the UK, Cm 2673 (1994).
 
24
Ibid., para. 1.17, 5.
 
25
For the most detailed history of Virgin’s multiplex circuit, see Allen Eyles, “The Virgin Intervention,” Picture House: Magazine of the Cinema Theatre Association, no. 43 (2018): 8–38.
 
26
Jonathan Davis and Neil Reeder, “Chain Reaction,” Screen International 1019 (4 August, 1995), 12–13.
 
27
Beth Porter, “Virgin Exhibitors,” The Film Journal 98, no. 9 (1 December, 1995), 16.
 
28
Ralf Ludemann, “Interview Robert Devereux: Empire Builder,” Screen International 1019 (3 August, 1995), 14.
 
29
Ralf Ludemann, “Virgin Territory,” Screen International 1015 (7 July, 1995), 10.
 
30
Dodona, Cinemagoing 9.
 
31
Mary Scott, “Virgin Pulls UK-Irish Exhib Plug,” Screen International 1231 (22 October, 1999), 1.
 
32
Lisa Buckingham, “Virgin Sells ‘Fantastic’ Cinemas for £215m,” The Guardian, 19 October, 1999.
 
33
Ibid.
 
34
Fabrizio Montanari, When the Audience Comes First: The Case of UGC Cinemas Institute of Organization and Information Systems (Milan: Bocconi University, 2003). http://​ernest.​hec.​ca/​video/​pedagogie/​gestion_​des_​arts/​AIMAC/​2003/​resources/​marketing.​htm (accessed 11 August, 2016).
 
35
Scott, “Size Matters in UK Exhib’n Race,” 8.
 
36
Dodona, Cinemagoing 11 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2003), 47.
 
37
Adam Dawtrey, “UGC Pass Piques Plex Players,” Variety 379, no. 8 (17 July, 2000), 66.
 
38
Stephen W. Gilbert, “Foreign Correspondence: The British Picture,” Film Journal International 103, no. 10 (1 October, 2000), 84–5.
 
39
Mary Scott, “UGC Card Provokes UK Distribution Fury,” Screen International 1270 (4 August, 2000), 4.
 
40
Denise Roland, “Cineworld and Its Founder: Nine Things You Did Not Know,” The Daily Telegraph, 20 November, 2013. https://​www.​telegraph.​co.​uk/​finance/​newsbysector/​retailandconsume​r/​leisure/​10462630/​Cineworld-and-its-founder-nine-things-you-did-not-know.​html (accessed 13 November, 2017).
 
41
UGC, “UGC to Launch Three New Cinemas in Three Months” (UGC Cinemas: London, n.d.).
 
42
BBC News, “Cinema ‘Sight for Sore Eyes’,” http://​news.​bbc.​co.​uk/​1/​hi/​scotland/​1028193.​stm (accessed 24 November, 2018).
 
43
See Ralf Ludemann, “Birth of a Notion,” Screen International 1065 (5 July, 1996): 15–16, 19–21.
 
44
See Ralf Ludemann, “Cine UK Unveils Exhibition Programme,” Screen International 1011 (9 June, 1995), 1 and Beth Porter, “Cine-UK’s Wiener Challenges Big Exhibition Guns,” The Film Journal 99, no. 1 (1 January, 1996), 10, 110.
 
45
Jonathan Glancey, “Slouching towards Stevenage,” The Independent Magazine, 7 July, 1996, 20.
 
46
Ludemann, “Birth of a Notion,” 18.
 
47
Charles Gant, “Passage from India,” Sight and Sound 17, no. 10 (October, 2007), 9.
 
48
Angelique Chrisafis, “Hoorah for Bollywood as Birmingham Gets Multiplex Screens Dedicated to Indian films,” The Guardian, 17 May, 2000.
 
49
Dodona, Cinemagoing 14 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2005), 37–8.
 
50
Quoted in Mark Moran, “Cinema showman,” Cinemabusiness 28 (September, 2006), 18.
 
51
Office of Fair Trading, Completed Acquisition by the Blackstone Group of UGC Cinemas Holdings Limited, 5 May, 2005. https://​assets.​digital.​cabinet-office.​gov.​uk/​media/​555de43240f0b666​a2000100/​ugc.​pdf (accessed 14 January, 2017).
 
52
Office of Fair Trading, Completed Acquisition by Cineworld plc of City Screen Limited, ME/5877/12. 5 June 2013, Para. 3: 13.
 
53
Quoted in Julia Kollewe, “Cineworld Buys Picturehouse,” The Guardian, 6 December, 2012.
 
54
Bridget Byrne, “Exhibition Profile: Making WBIT Tracks: Warner Bros. International Theatres Celebrates Its First Decade,” BoxOffice 134, no. 6 (1 June, 1998), 40.
 
55
“British Cinema and Film Statistics,” Screen Digest (October, 1990), 14.
 
56
Jeremy Coopman, “HV Loses No Luster in U.K.; Yanks Clean Up on Rental,” Variety 335, no. 3 (10 May, 1989), 187.
 
57
Dodona, Cinemagoing 11 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2003), 51.
 
58
MEDIA Salles. White Book of the European Exhibition Industry: A Report by London Economics and BIPE Conseil: Vol 2, (1994) http://​www.​mediasalles.​it/​whiteboo/​wb2_​1_​3.​htm (accessed 4 January, 2019).
 
59
“Multiplex Cinemas: Growth Is Far from Over,” 37.
 
60
See Turner. Warner Cinemas.
 
61
Scott, “Size Matters in UK Exhib’n Race,” 8.
 
62
Ibid., 8.
 
63
“Virgin Territory,” Film Journal International 101, no. 7 (1 July, 1998), 26, 28.
 
64
Ralf Ludemann, “UK Preview 1997: Battle of the Plexes,” Screen International 1092 (24 January, 1997), 33.
 
65
Dodona, Cinemagoing Europe 1999 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 1999), 45–6.
 
66
“Warner Village’s Rising Star,” Screen International 1269 (28 July, 2000), 14.
 
67
Carl Wilkinson, “Welcome to Cinema Paradiso,” The Observer, 17 August, 2003.
 
68
Jon Verde quoted in Gary Younge, “The Big Picture,” The Guardian, 26 July, 2000.
 
69
“10 years of Warner Bros. International Theatres: Promotional Feature,” Screen International 1150 (20 March, 1998), 28.
 
70
Ibid., 28.
 
71
Jonathon Guthrie, “Stars bring Beverly Hills to Birmingham,” Financial Times, 21 July, 2000.
 
72
Mary Scott, “StarCity Highlights Megaplex Concerns,” Screen International 1269 (28 July, 2000), 2.
 
73
“The Operators,” Cinemabusiness, December, 2005, 18–20.
 
74
The acquisition of Ster Century was referred to the OFT, who ruled that as Vue had a near-monopoly situation in Basingstoke the company had to sell its Basingstoke Leisure Park site to rival Odeon. See Screen Digest, “Movie Markets in the UK A report commissioned by OFCOM,” December, 2007. https://​www.​ofcom.​org.​uk/​_​_​data/​assets/​pdf_​file/​0020/​54605/​annex11.​pdf (accessed 24 July, 2017).
 
75
Dodona. Cinemagoing 20 (Leicester: Dodona Research, 2011), 19.
 
76
Hanson, “The rise of the multiplex.”
 
77
UK Film Council, Statistical Yearbook 2005/06 (London: UK Film Council, 2006), 51.
 
Metadata
Title
The Multiplex is Consolidated in Britain
Author
Stuart Hanson
Copyright Year
2019
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18995-2_6