A Vue to a thrill

Friday February 12, 2010

After a hectic nine-month countdown and an epic £15million price tag it's finally show-time at Westfield.

Cinema giant Vue is set to roll back the curtains on its new flagship multiplex in the Shepherds Bush shopping mall today (Friday February 12).

Vue chiefs invited h&f news to tour the site during its final days of construction, and said they were on schedule for a spectacular grand opening.

Chief executive Tim Richards said: "We are incredibly excited about the opening of our 14-screen, all-digital flagship cinema at this prestigious location in Westfield."

The complex includes three exclusive screens, known as Scene, with luxury leather reclining chairs, side tables and a VIP bar overlooking Westfield's central atrium.

The cinema also boasts two super-sized screens, dubbed VueXtreme. During the site tour, Vue chief operations officer Steve Knibbs gave h&f news a sneak preview of the full range of cinemas, main foyer, private bar and digital projection boxes.

"We're on schedule and the guys are doing really well, but there's still a lot to do," he admitted.

"It's a 24-hour building contract and at peak times we've had 140 people on site. But now we're just doing all the finishing touches, shop-fitting and decorating."

The main foyer features an impressive wall of 16 Sony Bravia screens as well as 14 ticket desks and eight ticket collection machines.

The complex's 14 screens lead off from the main foyer, with screens six and seven making up VueXtreme and screens 12 to 14 comprising the luxury Scene section.

"Every theatre has stadium seating so wherever you sit will be the best view you could get," Steve said.

"The VueXtreme theatres have 450 seats each and they have a steeper rake, and apart from the BFI Imax at the South Bank, they are the biggest screens in London."

Each theatre has a choice of either standard or VIP seating, and so far five screens have been 'enabled' for 3D, with more screens to follow in the coming months.

The three luxury Scene theatres offer an extra dose of luxury with wide, leather reclining chairs, generous legroom and side tables for snacks and drinks.

"There will be a really nice intimate relaxed atmosphere and these are theatres for pleasure seekers," he said. "We'll be showing everything in here from mainstream to art house films, and these titles will be duplicated in the other theatres. We want to offer people a choice of how they see things."

The cinema will use digital projection for all screenings and Steve said the technology had opened the way for vastly-improved 3D projection, without the nauseating, cross-eyed feel of the past.

"The older 3D technology used film, so you had two projectors set up to run simultaneously - but you would never get it spot-on," he explained. "But with digital it's run from a single light source so it's a perfect picture."

Vue launched with a glamorous gala opening and 'film-cutting' (rather than ribboncutting) event on February 11, and opens its doors to the public today.

It will open with the biggest-grossing film of all time, Avatar, as its first big 3D title, and Alice in Wonderland is lined up to deliver another eye-popping 3D treat when it opens on March 5.

"In the summer we have Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4, both in 3D, and we'll have the next Harry Potter film in 3D towards the end of the year," Steve said.

"The cinema will set new standards in presentation, comfort and film choice. Vue is committed to providing something for everyone at Westfield, with a wide range of cinema experiences."

He added: "We're planning to screen a lot of live events and alternative programming, and I would be disappointed if we didn't show the Olympics in there."

Vue Westfield London opens on February 12. To make advance bookings visit www.myvue.com/westfield (opens new window).