Golden era for silver screen

Duncan Reynolds - Odeon cinemas.

THE opening of the new Odeon in Oldham town centre next week comes as the cinema industry reports a record year.

Attendances are booming, people are spending more at cinemas and ever-more screens are being opened, figures show.

This summer, British cinemas attracted 45 million customers ­- including more than 18 million in August alone. It was exceptionally strong summer season with August admissions up by 26 per cent on the same month last year, according to the UK Cinema Association.

Family films, fantasy adventures and comedies have been especially popular including The Secret Life of Pets, Absolutely Fabulous, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Suicide Squad, Finding Dory, Jason Bourne and The BFG. The cinema industry says admissions for this year are currently ahead of 2015, which was a record-breaking year.

Autumn and winter releases over the next few weeks are expected to draw in further big audiences, with films such as Trolls, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story being released.

The huge popularity of cinema and extra business opportunities offered by new, smaller town centre cinemas lie behind the opening of the new Odeon.

Duncan Reynolds, managing director for Odeon and UCI Cinemas in the UK and Ireland, told the Chronicle: "We are delighted about the opening of Odeon in Oldham and look forward to sharing our passion for cinema with the local community. It's great to see the cinema taking such a central position in the heart of Oldham's Old Town Hall centre, providing residents with the very best cinema experience."

Mr Reynolds said this was the first example of Odeon building a complex from scratch inside a historic, listed building. He also praised Oldham Council for its "vision and determination" in redeveloping the old hall. The new complex has theatres seating audiences sized from 60 to more than 200.

He said the new Odeon will show a wide range of films, ranging from the latest blockbusters and family favourites to Asian films, niche productions and special events, and he is looking forward to official opening next Friday.

The UK Cinema Association says British customers are spending more when they visit the cinema. In 2003, they spent an average of £14 a visit. Figures show average spending had risen to £19. There are 4,115 screens today compared to 3,486 in 2003.

There were 771 cinemas across the UK last year and the total has risen again this year with new cinemas including Odeons in Oldham and Cheshire.

The Odeon chain was founded in Birmingham in 1930 and London's celebrated Leicester Square Odeon has hosted more than 700 film premieres.

The Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group was sold to the American company AMC Entertainment this year in a deal worth more than £900 million. Adding Odeon and UCI's 242 sites to AMC's existing network has created the world's biggest cinema owner.

* LOOK out for an Odeon family ticket competition in Monday's Chronicle.