Odeon to Take Over Closing Cineworld Venues

A new cinema is scheduled to open in a town, occupying the same premises as a cinema that is slated for closure. Odeon is commencing operations at Sixfields Leisure on Weedon Road, Northampton, succeeding Cineworld, which will cease trading on 19 January. This closure is part of a national adjustment impacting six Cineworld locations, where landlords elected to reclaim their properties following the company’s restructuring plan. Legal and General, the landlords for the site, confirmed this development in a statement: “We are pleased to announce that we have secured new agreements with Odeon to take over two cinema sites in Northampton and Middlesbrough.” In July, Cineworld had previously announced the closure of five additional sites, including Bedford. A petition advocating for the continued operation of Cineworld in Northampton gathered over 800 signatures, describing its closure as “another important staple of our town being taken away”. A similar petition to save the Odeon in Kettering was signed by more than 2,000 individuals, but the council has approved its demolition once it closes in February. Legal and General stated that refurbishment work would follow Cineworld’s departure in February, with the new Odeon anticipated to open “later in the year”.