Cult venue Prince Charles cinema ‘saved’ after lease renewal signed

Key points

• The Prince Charles cinema in London's Leicester Square has signed a new 25-year lease with no break clause, ending 21 months of uncertainty.
• The threat began in January 2025 when landlord Zedwell LSQ Ltd sought a break clause in the lease due for renewal in September 2025.
• Owner Ben Freedman said the security gives the cinema confidence to invest in its future and continue providing a home for film lovers.

The Prince Charles repertory cinema in London's Leicester Square has secured its future by signing a new 25-year lease with its landlords, the cinema announced on social media. In a post titled "You Saved the PCC", the venue said that after 21 months of uncertainty, it was delighted to have secured the cinema's future and had signed a new 25-year lease with no break clause.

The cinema also thanked the many people whose support, commitment and belief made the deal possible. The Prince Charles has operated as a cinema since 1969 and was designated an asset of community value by Westminster City Council in May 2025.

How the dispute began

In January 2025, the Prince Charles launched a petition claiming that its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd, owned by developer Criterion Capital, was trying to "bully us out of the building" by demanding a break clause in its lease, due for renewal in September 2025. The break clause would have allowed Zedwell to give the cinema six months' notice if it had other plans for the site. Criterion Capital denied attempting to intimidate or disadvantage the cinema.

The campaign drew support from film fans and industry figures including actor Paul Mescal and directors Danny Boyle, Robert Eggers, Christopher Nolan and Edgar Wright. The building opened as a live theatre in 1962 and was converted to a cinema in 1969 after being bought by the Star Cinema chain, later showing adult movies. It became a repertory cinema with cut-price seats in 1991.

after 21 months of uncertainty, we're delighted to have secured the future of the cinema

— the Prince Charles cinema

What both sides said

Ben Freedman, owner of the Prince Charles, said in a statement: "Our cinema means an enormous amount to our team, our audiences and the wider arts community." He added that the security gives the cinema confidence to invest in its future and continue providing a home for film lovers, and that the agreement works for both parties.

Vaqas Farooq, CEO of Criterion Capital, said: "We are delighted to have agreed terms which secure [the Prince Charles'] future." He said the 25-year commitment provides real security for the cinema and its fans, and that the landlords plan to develop a hotel on the building's upper floors. Lease issues also threaten the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford, whose landlord, Oriel College, is refusing to renew its lease past 2037.