The Harlequin gets planning approval for its refurbishment, Kinepolis prepares Belgium’s first HDR by Barco auditorium and Cinemark puts a live NFL game on the big screen. Each is at a different stage, with a different set of decisions for the operator.
Peter J. Knight
MCP | Creative Labs
A planning decision, a new projection format and a live sports booking all bring a date into focus. What is useful this week is looking at the work still needed to turn each one into a show that audiences can actually attend.
Redhill: permission for the works moves the Harlequin a step closer
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council says its planning committee approved the Harlequin refurbishment application on 28 October. Last week the application was awaiting consideration. The building has been closed since September 2023 following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. The approved scheme includes roof work and improvements to mechanical and electrical systems.
Planning approval is a tangible step for a closed venue, but it does not put an opening date in the diary. The council says a contractor appointment depends on an acceptable price. There is a difference between being able to describe the works and knowing when the operator can take the building back.
For an operator in that position, handover needs a timetable of its own. There has to be time to bring the auditorium and its equipment back into service, check the conditions in which people will work and watch a show, and let staff practise dealing with faults. A building programme can look comfortably on track until these tasks are all left to the week the doors are due to open.
Kortrijk: Barco’s HDR format gets its first Belgian site
Barco announced on 29 October that Kinepolis Kortrijk will be the first Belgian site for HDR by Barco. Work was under way at the time of the announcement and the auditorium is due to open on 18 November. That is the manufacturer’s target, so there are no operating results to draw on yet.
The interesting question for other exhibitors is how the format will be offered in an ordinary week. It takes a suitable screen and projection system, but the audience also needs to know which performances use the format. The cinema needs a clear route for checking that the version it has received is the one it intends to play and for explaining any change before people arrive.
When comparing a premium auditorium with the rest of a site, I would look at the range of titles it can carry and how often those titles are actually scheduled there. A launch weekend tells us something about interest. A longer run tells us more about how the room fits the programme and whether audiences return for it.
Plano: a live game at a single cinema
Cinemark lists a live screening of the Dallas Cowboys against the Seattle Seahawks at Cinemark West Plano and XD on 7 December. The event was reported on 30 October. It is a specific booking at a named site, with the team as part of the proposition, rather than a confirmed rollout to other cinemas.
A live game puts different demands on the room. The time the audience leaves depends on the game, and breaks are determined by the feed. Staff need to know what to do if a signal drops, how to tell the audience what is happening and when to escalate a fault. The producer needs to agree who is responsible for the feed, the sound and the cues the venue is expected to follow.
Rights and local audience interest will vary between markets. The question worth following is how well a single-site event works when the programming, promotion and staffing are built around a particular audience. That is more useful evidence than simply adding another category to a list of things a cinema can show.