Vue has opened its Swindon cinema in Greenbridge just in time for Christmas.
The multiplex chain took over the former Empire site earlier this year and welcomed film fans inside for the first time on Friday.
The 12 screens, which include an IMAX, have been retained and there are plans to turn all the seats into leather recliners as part of a wider revamp of the venue next year.
General manager Steve Legg said: “We have felt the local anticipation for this site and are delighted to finally open our doors to all film fans in and around Swindon.
“We look forward to delivering the very best in entertainment, and inviting families and film buffs alike down to Greenbridge Retail Park to spend a Christmas day out with us.
“From opening day, we will be showing all the latest films and entertainment.
“However, it wouldn’t be a December launch without us bringing back festive favourites directly onto the big screen as they were intended.”
The reopening under new management coincides with the release of family film Wonka, in which Timothée Chalamet plays a younger version of the iconic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character.
Christmas classics Elf, Home Alone, Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Love Actually, and Die Hard are now playing, with Home Alone 2, Spirited, and The Muppets Christmas Carol screening from December 15, then The Polar Express and It’s A Wonderful Life arriving on December 22.
More recent releases on offer include The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon, Disney animated film Wish, darkly comic drama Saltburn, superhero adventure The Marvels, Beyoncé concert film Renaissance, Hindi action film Animal, and seasonal horror Thanksgiving.
Tickets are available now for £4.99 each when booked online at www.myvue.com and on the app, or £5.99 each when purchased in the cinema itself.
Vue has more than 90 cinemas around the UK and Ireland.
The Empire cinema chain suddenly collapsed into administration in July, closing several multiplexes around the country.
The first sign of Vue's interest in the Greenbridge Retail Park site appeared in October, when a licensing application was submitted to Swindon Borough Council and a notice was stuck to the front entrance.
A planning application asking for permission to change the exterior signage followed a few days later.
Vue confirmed its takeover of the building in early November as work began to get the much-loved multiplex ready to reopen.
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