Cineworld Cinema - Basildon
Festival Leisure Park, Pipps Hill,
Basildon,
SS14 3DG
Festival Leisure Park, Pipps Hill,
Basildon,
SS14 3DG
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Screen X was added on April 5th 2019.
It is now 16 screens, because the 2 bottom Studio Screens are now a Starbucks.
LARGE_screen_format:
Incidentally, apparently D-BOX motion data has been included on some Blu-Rays, so you can setup a D-BOX seat as part of your home cinema (LOL) — see e.g. http://www.homecinemaseating.uk/seating-features/.
I’m not sure Auditorium 2 as a “PLF” screen has been dropped, it’s just that “IMPACT” isn’t marked on the revised plans. The auditorium still looks like an “IMPACT” in terms of layout, the recliners are a bit more than one screen distance away from the screen the rest is (OK, the sofas row is 2% out according to my estimates!)
I suppose all depends on whether they’ll equip it with top-end projection and Atmos.
Regarding the auditorium sizes, the cinema just isn’t that big. Looking at the proposals, most obviously it would appear that Auditoria 3 / 4 could be combined but that wouldn’t yield the largest auditorium or screen either. Dreaming up more radical reconfigurations is easy, but the practicability of them is unknown given possible structural, access and fire escape constraints.
As I understand it, seating fill (occupancy) rates actually go down as more screens are added. Hence, one strategy is to have medium to large (or premium format inc. 4DX/D-BOX) auditoria programmed with new releases, and then “move over” to smaller auditoria, rather than having lots of medium sized screens. (Small/medium/large is rather vague, I know, but I think you can figure out what I’m getting at!) Obviously, this is aided by digital which makes “move overs” trivial as well as allowing for “boothless” auditoria.
The development of a smaller multiplex in Poole would seem to make more sense rather than another megaplex?
If D-Box just offered built-in shakers in comfy armchair style seats I’d probably check it out. Seen as it includes tilting seats as well then one may as well go all out and watch a movie in 4DX for a more immersive effect.
That’s bad news regarding an IMPACT auditorium being dropped, I’m sure Empire Cinemas will be disappointed at having to implement this change. Although most auditoria contain recliners and sofas, which reduce the seating capacities, the seat counts do still seem on the low side for a new multiplex. I guess nowadays having more auditoria and therefore a wider range of programming takes precedence over having fewer auditoria with larger screens and increased seating capacities?
Addendum: To clarify, the outcome of the Dolphin Centre, Poole cinema/restaurant development planning application has not yet been decided.
LARGE_screen_format: Re: D-BOX – I haven’t been to one. I seem to recall that Zappomatic has?
According to the Wikipedia page for D-BOX (granted, not necessarily the most reliable source on the planet, but currently too tired for further research!)—the D-BOX seats tilt and shake—so 4DX (albeit 4DX has various options for an installation with fewer features available with the basic versions) with its “environmental effects” would seem to be a more fully featured system?
Planning application for the Dolphin Centre, Poole cinema development.
Having a quick look through, the application was referred to the Secretary of State due to the development being in “identified future flood zones […] where the Environment Agency have not been prepared to withdraw their objection despite discussion between those parties and justification for the design by the applicants.” (See the “NATIONAL PLANNING CASEWORK UNIT” document.)
However, in correspondence dated 9th August 2018, Secretary of State states that the application will not be “called in.” (See the “SECRETARY OF STATE DECISION” document.)
Though the original planning application was received by the Borough of Poole in October 2017, “AMENDED PLANS” are available from July 2018.
These plans are marked as being sourced from T.P. Bennett, and the only comment for the revised plans is “Levels amended”—however, the auditoria plans definitely look like they are from UNICK Architects.
Whilst the originally submitted plans showed an Auditorium 2 (the largest) marked as “IMPACT,” with curved rows of seats, the revised one is no longer marked as an “IMPACT” screen, has straight rows of seats, and, based on my scaling from these drawings is slightly smaller.
Specifically, as scaled from the revised plans, Auditorium 2 is proposed to be built to the following dimensions:
Auditorium size – ~14.3x17.2m.
Screen width – ~13.9m. (~45.5ft.)
Distance from screen to last full row – ~14.6m.
Distance from screen to last row – 16.5m.
The middle section of the last row is occupied by the projector(s).
Similar to the Basildon proposals, the disabled bays are at the front of the auditorium (this time between row 1 and 2), the last row is all recliners, and the last full row is all sofas.
Seating count – 175 + 2 disabled, of which 144 standard, 13 recliner, 18 sofa.
Auditorium 7 is a D-BOX with 17 recliners.
Other seating counts:
Auditorium 1 – 94 + 2 disabled (72 standard, 10 recliner and 12 sofa.) Auditorium 3 – 51 + 2 disabled (37 standard, 6 recliner and 8 sofa.) Auditorium 4 – 36 + 2 disabled (22 standard, 6 recliner and 8 sofa.) Auditorium 5 – 104 + 2 disabled (87 standard, 8 recliner and 9 sofa.) Auditorium 6 – 31 + 2 disabled (31 standard.) Auditorium 8 – 55 + 2 disabled (40 standard, 7 recliner and 8 sofa.)
My guess is they perhaps only sold these two particular sites (17-screen Basildon, Essex and 16-screen Bournemouth) due to being offered so much over the ‘market value’ that it would have been bonkers not to have taken the deal.
Clearly, they must have been busy sites for them to reinvest in new competing sites, this time in town centres? Hopefully, they will go all out and make these new cinemas something special in order to attract some of Cineworld’s client base from the existing sites?
Talking of D-Box, has anyone watched a movie in a D-Box screen? I’ve watched a few movies in 4DX but not D-Box and am considering trying it out at some point if its any good?
Was just trying to find out how many IMPACT screens Empire sold to Cineworld and stumbled across this:
Bournemouth Echo – Article on new cinema and restaurants at the Dolphin Centre, Poole – September 2017.
It says that Empire have signed a 25 year lease, and the cinema is proposed to include an IMPACT screen, D-BOX, and (sigh) an open-air rooftop cinema.
Can’t find any articles from 2018, which seems odd, unless the scheme has been shelved?
Either way, another case of Empire Cinemas planning on opening a new cinema just up the road from one only just sold to Cineworld!
According to that 2016 Annual Report, at the end of 2016 Cineworld had 27 4DX screens, 33 IMAX screens and six of their own Superscreen formats across their whole group including RoI and Europe.
I’m surprised to learn that they only had six Superscreens.
According to the Cineworld Group plc’s 2016 Annual Report, the acquisition of the 5 sites from Empire Cinemas in 2016 for £94.6m represented a “goodwill of £60.6m” over the “fair value of net assets acquired” of “£33.9m.” theatreofvarieties confirmed on Cinema Treasures that Empire sold those sites because Cineworld were offering “silly money.”
It seems that the idea of a new multiplex in Basildon’s town centre has been floating around for a while, and in 2016 no operator had been found for a different scheme.
This scheme (“East Square Regeneration”) seems to be local authority led—maybe it will be leased to Empire Cinemas on favourable terms? It would definitely seem to be a case of “overbuilding” though?!
That’s some great info you have discovered there regarding the plans for a new Empire cinema in Basildon, I did wonder why they would sell off their second-flagship site but I guess they already had one eye on the future?
Addendum: The proposed Auditorium 1 would also appear to be a probable IMPACT screen—similar layout with 242 seats (165 standard, 31 recliner and 46 sofa / + 3 disabled on row 2.) Proposed floor-to-ceiling height in “Section AA” of the “Proposed Sections” document is 9.43m (~30.9ft.)
Auditoria 1 and 10 are orientated at 90° to each other, and share a large projection room.
The proposed Auditorium 2 (120 seats) is a D-BOX screen.
LARGE_screen_format:
Thomas Anderson (“beneficial owner” of Empire Cinemas) holds (via “IMAGE LTD.”) a couple of patents on cinema auditorium geometry, of greatest relevance here:
A cinema structure and a method for constructing a cinema structure.
Where the full text and drawings are available for the US application.
I’ve covered this previously in other posts on CT, but this now seems to be a revised version and the patent has been granted by the UK Patent Office.
To quote — the abstract:
“A cinema structure comprises an auditorium defined between a floor, a ceiling, front and rear walls and side walls, which is of length similar to its width and of height, approximately half its width. A screen which is substantially the width and height of the auditorium is located adjacent the front wall.”
In other words, essentially all rows are within 1x screen width from the screen.
The geometry described in these patents is used for the IMPACT auditoria, for example:
Christie Digital – Press Release – “Christie adds Vive Audio Excellence to Luxury Empire Cinemas Screen” — to quote:
“The IMPACT screen uses Empire Cinema’s patented IMPACT design…”
(Thomas Anderson holds another patent for small auditoria, branded “STUDIO” by Empire Cinemas. Screen 5 (former Screen 7) at the Cineworld (Empire) LSQ is a good example of one, although it wasn’t actually branded as “STUDIO” screen.)
No idea what the screen size is/was for the former IMPACT auditorium; Basildon Council’s site does not have any publically available full database of licensing applications/grants.
I think it was a pilot site for the IMPACT concept and perhaps the low capacity and correspondingly not quite “super-size” screen means that Cineworld don’t consider it big enough to be a “Superscreen”? In any case, the IMPACT geometry detailed in the above-linked patent reveals why there aren’t that many rows, as the auditorium depth would need to be about the same as its width.
I did have a look through the planning applications to no avail; however, there is a scheme for a new 10 screen cinema as part of the “East Square Regeneration” scheme—planning application (Received 24th February 2018, approved 22nd August 2018.)
It turns out that the operator will be Empire Cinemas: Basildon Council Press Release -Cinema Provider Announced in New Town Centre Leisure Scheme.
(The above linked press release is dated 11th June 2018—you may need to rub your eyes; but, no, not 1st April!)
The largest auditorium shown in the plans is Auditorium 10, with the following seating configuration:
457 seats – 354 standard, 43 Recliner, 60 Sofa / + 4 disabled.
12 rows – of which the front 8 – standard (3 disabled in row 2), the next 2 – sofas, and the rear 2 – recliners (and 1 disabled on the last row.)
Now for the interesting part—looking at “Section BB” in the “Proposed Sections” document, Auditorium 10 has a proposed floor to ceiling height* of 13.29m (=43.6ft.) If a 1.9:1 ratio wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screen is installed, then this means that the possibility exists of a screen size well over 21m/70ft. wide—maybe even close to 80ft. wide.
Either way, if this development proceeds with Empire Cinemas as the operator, looks like an IMPACT auditorium is making its way back to Basildon, this time presumably with top-end laser projection and an Atmos sound system…
Whilst previously under Empire Cinemas ownership, screen 6 was an IMPACT auditorium but I notice on Cineworld’s website that this site is not listed as having a Superscreen. Seems a strange decision to convert it into one of their standard screens. Having just clicked through a number of their performances I found that Mama Mia 2 at 17:00 is being shown in screen 6. It has a relatively low row count (9) for what used to be an IMPACT screen and was classed as Empire Cinemas second flagship cinema.
Does anybody happen to know the dimensions of the screens in the IMAX auditorium plus screen 12 which has the largest seating capacity at this site?
The 4DX is going to open on Thursday 22nd June with Transformers: The Last Knight.
Today was Screen 7’s last screening. It’s going to change into a 4DX auditorium.
Now operated by Cineworld
Here’s the link to the IMAX press release—it is one of three Empire Cinemas locations, following on from the Empire Leicester Square, that will have an IMAX screen:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/empire-cinemas-expands-imax-commitment-with-three-theatre-deal-in-england-300068241.html
According to Empire’s Auditorium Information page, Screen 1 will be the IMAX screen, with 337 seats, and therefore will co-exist with the IMPACT screen.
I have found new information about the IMAX in Basildon. They will charge you £5 more than the regular 2D tickets peak, off peak or saverday.
This cinema is going to have an IMAX screen opening on June 11th. The film that they are going to open the screen with is Jurassic World. No information on the screen size or auditorium yet.
this cinema is now 18 screens and boasts a large format IMPACT screen