Vue Cinemas

Vue International (otherwise known as Vue Cinemas, and stylised as vue), formerly SBC International Cinemas, is a British multinational cinema company operating in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Taiwan.

Vue International
Vue Cinemas
Private
Founded1999 (1999) (as Spean Bridge Cinemas)
13 May 2003 (2003-05-13) (as Vue)
FounderTimothy Richards (CEO)
Headquarters10 Chiswick Park
566 Chiswick High Road,

London
,
England, UK
Number of locations
228 sites and 1,989 screens
Area served
Worldwide
OwnerAIMCo
OMERS
Websitewww.vue-international.com

The company was founded in May 2003 by the acquisition of Warner Village Cinemas by SBC and the subsequent rebranding of the business as Vue. As of 2018, the company has 228 cinemas and 1,989 screens internationally, including in the United Kingdom 271 3D screens, 9 Extreme Screens, 6 Scene Screens and Bars, and 3 IMAX screens.[1]

The parent company Vue International expanded through a number of acquisitions, including the Ster Century chain, Apollo Cinemas and Multikino. In June 2006, Vue's executive team completed a management buy out with the backing of Bank of Scotland Corporate,[2] taking a 51% stake in the business and buying the four remaining Warner Village sites it had been operating under contract from Village Roadshow.

The company was bought by the private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co in November 2010.[3] In June 2013, Doughty Hanson & Co announced the sale of the company to the Canadian firms Alberta Investment Management Corporation and OMERS for £935 million.[4]

The company's original slogan was entitled Enjoy the Vue, was used from its opening in May 2003 until February 2010, when the company adopted 'the future of cinema' as its slogan to mark the opening of their Westfield cinema. Thereafter, in October 2015, the company decided to have a makeover, and – with a new rebranding – renamed the slogan as Big Screen Entertainment, respectively. The slogan remained the same until the launch of the company's Get Lost campaign in January 2020; the campaign was paused in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed in June. In late-July 2020, the company launched a temporarily-partnered Switch Off, Sit Back and Stay Safe campaign in relation to the pandemic; the campaign will last until sometime in 2021.

On 17 March 2020, Vue and other cinema companies like Cineworld and Odeon Cinemas in the UK temporarily closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, stating that they'll "remain closed until further notice".[5][6] As of 7 August 2020, the company's cinemas across Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands are now reopened, whereas in the UK, cinemas in England and Scotland have been reopened with further sites opening later in August; Wales and Ireland will reopen their cinemas in late-August.

History
Vue at Cardigan Fields in Leeds

The company was founded in 1999 by Stewart Blair, a former executive of United Artists Theatres and Tim Richards, a former executive of Warner Bros. International Theatres. The company was original named Spean Bridge Cinemas after a holiday to the Scottish Highland village of the same name by Stewart Blair.[7]

The first cinema to open was under The Circuit Cinema brand in Livingston, Scotland, on 5 October 2000.[8][8] The company was later renamed as SBC International Cinemas and opened cinemas in Faro, Portugal (closed in 2014) and Taipei, Taiwan (still operating as SBC)[9]

In May 2003, SBC bought Warner Village Cinemas from its owners, Village Roadshow and Warner Bros., for £250 million. At the time, SBC owned four cinemas, and Warner Village Cinemas owned 36.[10] In April 2005, the chain acquired the Ster Century chain from Aurora Entertainment; this included the highest grossing cinema in the United Kingdom or Ireland at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin, Ireland.[11]

On 20 June 2006, Vue's executive team completed a management buy out of the company with the backing of Bank of Scotland Corporate; the management team retaining a 51% stake.[2] Also, as part of the buy out, Vue took full ownership of the four Village sites it had been operating under contract from Village Roadshow. The private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co acquired Vue in November 2010.[3]

On 13 September 2011, Vue opened their biggest cinema in the United Kingdom at the new Westfield Stratford City. They had previously opened at Westfield London in 2010. Vue bought the company Apollo in May 2012, retaining 14 new sites across the United Kingdom, making it the third largest cinema company in the United Kingdom, behind Odeon and Cineworld.[12]

By 2013, it was reported that Vue had 143 cinemas.[13] In May 2013, Vue Entertainment acquired Multikino, the Polish cinema operator owning thirty cinemas with almost 250 screens in Poland and Baltic countries.[14]

In June 2013, Doughty Hanson & Co announced it had sold Vue to the Canadian pension funds Alberta Investment Management Corporation and OMERS for £935 million.[4] In November 2014, Vue International acquired 'The Space Cinema'. In August 2015, Vue International (Vue) acquired JT Bioscopen ("JT") the second largest cinema chain in the Netherlands, bringing Vue's number of sites to over 200.[15]

In June 2018, Vue acquired the Irish operator Showtime Cinemas, adding a further two cinemas to their estate in the United Kingdom and Ireland, now totalling 89 cinemas.[16]

Locations

Vue International has nearly 230 sites and almost 2000 screens globally. Below is a list of the countries and number of sites the company serves:

CountryNo. of cinemasNo. of screensCompanyClosedReopened
UK and Ireland91870Vue UK and Ireland17 March 2020 (2020-03-17)7 August 2020 (2020-08-07)
(England/Scotland)
21 August 2020 (2020-08-21) (Ireland)
26 August 2020 (2020-08-26) (Wales)
The Netherlands20118Vue Nederland1 June 2020 (2020-06-01)
Germany3134331363Cinemaxx29 May 2020 (2020-05-29)
Denmark332
Italy36362The Space Cinema10 July 2020 (2020-07-10)
Poland4446316331Multikino
The Baltics (Lithuania and Latvia)215

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

In Spring 2020, a deadly virus called Coronavirus (COVID-19) hit the UK and the world, forcing all cinemas to close according to the British Government, NHS and World Health Organization.

March: Closure

On 17 March 2020, Vue temporarily closed their cinemas due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The London HQ in Chiswick was also shutdown due to the lockdown, but its staff including CEO Timothy Richards still were able to continue working via virtual meetings using Zoom.

April to August: Furlough period

On 14 April, the company's employees were told by Steve Knibbs, COO of Vue International, that they would be on furlough from 16 April to 30 June, with a review held every three weeks. On 1 July, the furlough period was extended until 31 August.

May to August: Reopening

Plans for reopening

On 5 May, CEO and founder of Vue, Tim Richards, stated in a discussion with the BBC: "If all goes to plan, the chain could be back in business for the launch of director Christopher Nolan's action movie Tenet on 17 July." Also on 6 May, a weekly newsletter entitled Your Vue was sent to employees who work for their localised site. On 13 May, the cinema chain set out plans for reopening its cinemas across the UK and Ireland, whilst sticking to the current social distancing measures.

European countries reopen and UK plans made

Between May and June 2020, 44 cinemas across Europe were reopened, whereas other markets were expected to reopen from 17 July 2020 as part of the third step in a "roadmap" plan made by the UK Government. On 3 June, Vue revealed that the UK and Ireland reopening dates will be differed gradually; the England sites will be reopened throughout July and August, whereas the Welsh, Scottish and Irish cinemas will reopen sometime between August and September. Customer assistant workers will be updated by their General/Area manager from 17 June. On 17 June, Tim Richards gave an update to employees saying that 44 of the 228 global sites are re-operating again, with newly-placed safety measures including: social distancing, regular use of hand sanitizer, and virtual online booking and contactless payment.

Reopened European venues
  • Germany and Denmark – 33 cinemas; reopened on 29 May 2020 (2020-05-29); All except for Harburg, Hamburg
  • The Netherlands – 20 cinemas; reopened on 1 June 2020 (2020-06-01)
  • Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – 24 cinemas; reopened on 10 July 2020 (2020-07-10)
  • Italy – 4 cinemas; reopened on 10 July 2020 (2020-07-10)

First cinemas in UK delay reopening

On 23 June, it was revealed that the first 20 cinemas in England, including the North West, The Midlands and London-based areas, would reopen from Friday 10 July.[17] Other sites within the UK would be likely to reopen over the following weeks. On 1 July, there were discussions as to delay the reopening date in the UK until the end of July, due to release dates for Disney's live-action adaptation of Mulan and Christopher Nolan's thriller Tenet being delayed until mid-August 2020. Simultaneously, Vue announced that same day that their cinema openings in the UK would be delayed by three weeks to 31 July 2020.[18] On July 29, the company once again delayed their reopening date until a week later due to Christopher Nolan's Tenet being pushed to 26 August 2020.

New measures made and First Cinema Memories

On 10 July, newly appointed General Manager of Vue UK and Ireland Toby Bradon, announced in the latest Your Vue newsletter that the first ten cinemas opening from 31 July (see below) will feature new safety measures and protocols including social distancing, hand sanitizer, staff PPE and contactless payment. A day earlier, on 9 July, a new series of short clips featuring a variety of Hollywood celebrities recollecting their cinema experience, was posted on the company's YouTube channel.[19]

Phased reopening

On 30 July, Vue announced that from the start of August, they would begin a phased reopening of its UK venues.[20] A week later on 7 August, the first ten cinemas were reopened with showings of old classics like the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, and the tenth anniversary of Inception (see below). Present-day films which were released before the pandemic (e.g. Sonic the Hedgehog), and are yet to open (e.g. Warner Bros' Tenet) will be shown later in August and the autumn.

Films showing upon Re-Opening

and many more

Films showing from late-August
  • Birds Of Prey – originally released on 14 February 2020
  • 1917 – originally released on 1 January 2020
  • Sonic the Hedgehog – originally released on 14 February 2020
  • Onward – originally released on 6 March 2020
  • Tenet – scheduled for release on 26 August 2020

and many more

UK Cinemas reopening in 2020
Country No. of cinemas Reopening date Locations
England97 August 2020Bromley, Cheshire Oaks, Cramlington, Doncaster, Farnborough, Islington, Manchester Lowry, Oxford, Westfield London
2421 August 2020Basingstoke Festival Place, Bedford, Birmingham Star City, Bolton, Bristol CC, Bristol LG, Bury The Rock, Cambridge, Darlington, Eastleigh, Eltham, North Finchley, Finchley Road, Gateshead, Harrow, Leeds Kirkstall, Leeds Light, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Northampton, Norwich, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Staines-upon-Thames, Thanet WC, Thurrock, Watford, West End (Leicester Square), Westfield Stratford City, Wood Green, York
2926 August 2020Accrington, Altrincham, Ashbourne, Barrow-in-Furness, Bicester, Birkenhead, Blackburn, Carlisle, Cleveleys, Croydon Grants, Dagenham, Fulham Broadway, Halifax, Hartlepool, Hull Princes Quay, Lancaster, Leamington Spa, Leicester, Manchester Printworks, Newbury, Piccadilly Circus, Redditch, Romford, Scunthorpe, Shepherd's Bush, Southport, Stroud, Torbay, Worcester
128 August 2020Exeter
131 August 2020Croydon Purley Way
Scotland17 August 2020Edinburgh Ocean
421 August 2020Glasgow Fort, Hamilton, Livingston, Stirling
226 August 2020Aberdeen, Edinburgh Omni Centre
Wales626 August 2020Cardiff, Carmarthen, Cwmbran, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhyl, Swansea
Ireland121 August 2020Dublin
126 August 2020Limerick

Timeline
DatesAreas affectedDetailsRef.
17 March 2020EuropeAll Vue cinemas close due to Covid-19 pandemic[21]
16 April 2020Furlough for employees begins
5 May 2020CEO Tim Richards reveals possible reopening of all cinemas in Summer 2020, with new social distancing measures in place[22]
6 May 2020New weekly newsletter entitled Your Vue is sent via email to employees
13 May 2020CEO of Vue, Tim Richards reveals confirmed reopening dates for cinemas in parts of Europe next week; Second newsletter is sent to company workers; Vue celebrates its 17th anniversary[23]
29 May 2020 – 1 June 2020Reopening for European countries, with new safety procedures in place; Third newsletter is sent to company workers
3 June 2020United KingdomFourth newsletter is sent to UK company workers
17 June 2020Latest update from CEO Tim Richards; Workers updated by their managers on returning to work
23 June 2020UK and IrelandFifth newsletter sent to employees with latest developments on reopening[24]
1 July 2020United KingdomFurlough for employees extended until 31 August;
Initial Re-Opening date delayed by three weeks
UK, Ireland, Denmark and ItalyToby Bradon becomes the new General Manager of the Vue UK, Ireland and Denmark division; Francesco Grandinetti re-launches the Italian business of The Space Cinema (TSC).
9 July 2020United KingdomFirst webisode of First Cinema Memories posted on YouTube – featuring filmmaker and actor Quentin Tarantino[25]
10 July 2020EuropeSixth newsletter sent to employees with latest developments on reopening; Additional European cinemas reopen
12 August 2020United KingdomFinal newsletter sent to employees with latest update on Re-Opening; First tickets go on sale online
20 July 2020Latest update from CEO and Founder of Vue, Timothy Richards
22 July 2020Second webisode of First Cinema Memories is posted on YouTube – featuring veteran Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson[26]
28 July 2020Third webisode of First Cinema Memories is posted on YouTube – featuring star of Aladdin and Charlie's Angels, Naomi Scott[27]
30 July 2020Vue announce phased reopening from early August
6 August 2020Safety video released onto YouTube
New measures announced pre-reopening		[28]
7 August 2020England and ScotlandPhase 1 reopening of sites in England and Scotland[29]
21–26 August 2020Wales and IrelandPhase 2 reopening of remaining English, Welsh and Irish cinemas
31 August 2020United KingdomExtended furlough period ends (subject to change)

Facilities
Vue at The Oracle in Reading

Vue's multiplexes vary from 4 to 30 screens. Each cinema is run by a team consisting of one general manager assisted by between two and five other members of the management team. The general manager has general control of the running of the cinema at site level, while assisted by the other members of the management team.

Team Leaders act as duty managers and are responsible for the operational running of a cinema on a shift basis. Customer Assistants serve guests throughout the cinema and report to the management team.

All cinemas have a dedicated projection team, responsible for the running of the "box" and the maintenance of the projection and sound equipment. The technical manager has overall responsibility, supported by a Senior Projectionist. They are accompanied by a team of two to four full or part-time projection staff, some of which can also share duties with the standard operation of the cinema.

However, all Vue sites are now fully digital, and therefore ran by the management team, or Technical Manager.

Vue in Swansea

Vue completed the rollout of the Vista Entertainment Solutions integrated Point of Sale software to every site in 2006.[30] Prior to this the majority of Vue cinemas ran the WaBITS ticketing system, developed in house in London by Warner Bros. International Cinemas.

This was an internal system used in all former Warner Village cinemas until 2007, when the division responsible for development was closed owing to the sale of the remaining joint venture cinema chains. WaBITS continues to be used in Japan by Warner Mycal Cinemas who now own the rights to the system.

The new system enables customers to buy tickets at any retail point in the cinema as well as online through the company website. Vue were the first major cinema operator in the United Kingdom to implement this "single point of sale" concept.

The implementation of this system in all of the locations means that none of the Vue cinemas now have dedicated box offices, All transactions are now carried out at automated ticketing machines and retail stands. In May 2004, Vue purchased the Premiere Cinema in Accrington for £850,000.[31]

It then carried out refurbishment work at the four screen complex.[32] By April 2005, the cinema was making profits for the first time.[33]

In October 2015, Vue cinemas opened in Farnborough [34] and planning permission has been approved for an eight screen venue on Elizabeth Street and Westcott Way in Corby.[35] In the end of 2015, Vue Cheshire Oaks & Leeds were upgraded to be the first two cinemas to have IMAX screens.

Vue built the United Kingdom's first eSports arena in cooperation with Gfinity, costing £350,000.[36] The Fulham Broadway cinema was converted into a six hundred seat 'Gfinity Arena,' to host e gaming events [37] On 14 April 2017, it was announced that Vue had acquired the twenty screen Odeon Printworks complex in Manchester. This would add an additional IMAX screen to the company's estate. The cinema opened under the Vue brand on 24 May 2017.[38]

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References
  1. "About Vue | The Ultimate Cinema Experience | Vue Cinemas". www.myvue.com.
  2. "Clarity Partners :: Private Equity :: communications, media and business services". www.claritypartners.net.
  3. "Doughty Hanson buys Vue cinema chain". Reuters. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. "Vue Cinemas sold in £935m deal". BBC News. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  5. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51925490
  6. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-17/odeon-cineworld-to-close-u-k-cinemas-until-further-notice
  7. "SBC Cinemas mooted to reel in Cine-UK". www.scotsman.com.
  8. "Vue Livingston in Livingston, GB - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org.
  9. Entrepreneurial Vue: Tim Richards reflects on early days and moving forward Film Journal International. 21 June 2013.
  10. Richard Wray (14 May 2003). "Deal marks the end for Warner Village". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  11. Murray, Adam (April 2005). "Vue Entertainment Purchases Ster Century UK & Ireland" (Press release). BV Investment Partners. Archived from the original on 19 May 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  12. "Vue acquires rival Apollo for £20m". Financial Times. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  13. "Who Owns Britains Cinema Chains". DenofGeek.
  14. "UK's Vue Entertainment buys Polish cinema chain Multikino - Yahoo! Finance UK". Archived from the original on 16 June 2013.
  15. "Vue International Acquires Second Largest Chain in the Netherlands". Corporate Vue.
  16. "Showtime: Chain to acquire seven screen cinema in Limerick". www.limerickleader.ie.
  17. Ravindran, Manori (23 June 2020). "Vue Cinemas to Begin Reopening U.K. Venues From July 10". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  18. Grater, Tom (1 July 2020). "Vue Becomes Latest Cinema Chain To Delay UK Re-Opening". Deadline Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  19. "First Cinema Memories – Vue Cinemas". YouTube. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  20. "Vue announces phased reopening date for cinemas". BBC News. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  21. "Coronavirus: Odeon, Vue and Cineworld shut UK cinemas". BBC News. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  22. "Vue Cinemas hoping for mid-July reopening". BBC News. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  23. "Vue sets out reopening plan with physical distancing". BBC News. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  24. Ravindran, Manori (23 June 2020). "Vue Cinemas to Begin Reopening U.K. Venues From July 10". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  25. "First Cinema Memories – Episode 1: Quentin Tarantino". YouTube. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  26. "First Cinema Memories – Episode 2: Samuel L. Jackson". YouTube. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  27. "First Cinema Memories – Episode 3: Naomi Scott". YouTube. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  28. "Making your trip back to Vue as safe as possible – Vue Entertainment". YouTube. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  29. Grater, Tom (29 July 2020). "Vue Sets New UK Re-Opening Dates From August 7 Following 'Tenet' Shift". Deadline Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  30. "Vista Case Study: Vue Entertainment". Archived from the original on 23 January 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  31. "Premiere Cinema sold for £850,000". accringtonobserver.co.uk. 27 May 2004. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  32. "Cinema sale gives huge cash boost". accringtonobserver.co.uk. 13 May 2004. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  33. "It's a box office hit". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 21 April 2005. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  34. "Long awaited Vue cinema finally opens in Farnborough". GetHampshire. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  35. "Vue-Cinema Gets Green Light in Corby". Northants Telegraph.
  36. "Can Professional Video Gaming Take UK We Visit Opening Night First Esports Arena Find Out". CityAM.
  37. "Vue Gfinity Esports". Engadget.
  38. Bainbridge, Pete (12 May 2017). "Vue announce opening date for Printworks cinema". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
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