Lumiere Cinema, in The Mercury shopping centre, will mark its grand opening this Friday (April 4) with a line-up of new releases including The Minecraft Movie and Mickey 17.
The venue replaces Premiere Cinemas, which closed in August 2024, and will be run by co-operative charity The Romford Film Trust.
A “soft launch” of the cinema has seen the doors open to cinemagoers this week, with more than 25 classic films shown for free.
It also hosted the Romford Horror Festival between February 27 and March 27 as a “test run” for the venue.
Spencer Hawken, chair of The Romford Film Trust, explained that the premises is already “brighter and a lot cleaner”, with sound quality “upgraded” and some projector issues fixed ahead of the launch.
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He said further improvements are planned as part of ongoing refurbishment works, including new projection screens arriving in May.
Improvement works are ongoing in the foyer (Image: Spencer Hawken)
“There’s still much work to do in the foyer,” Spencer said.
“Our main goal was to eliminate all the red, then we’ll begin zoning areas, creating a warm and friendly environment where people can meet and have business meetings, where those who work remotely can escape isolation and get into a public space.
“Then, when that’s complete, we’ll begin the regeneration of the auditoriums, improving doors for disabled users, soundproofing to contain the action in the screens.
“In screens 3, 4, and The Discovery screen, we’ll rip out the seating and install comfortable sofas, armchairs, and make throws available to ensure everyone gets the temperatures they want and need.”
Lumiere set out in a rough timeline in February for when it plans to host a range of events, gigs, community groups and book launches – and even open a coffee shop.
New films are being added daily, with screening information and updates available at www.lumiereromford.com.
