The iconic Prince Charles cinema in London’s Leicester Square has said it is prepared to go “all the way” in the legal process to resolve an 18-month-long lease dispute with its landlord, which could see it forced to close.
The cinema’s owner, Ben Freedman, who is Jewish, confirmed he and his team would be heading back to court this month in the hope of securing the future of the beloved venue, which is a favourite of Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan, among others.
The Prince Charles went public in its battle with landlord Zedwell LSQ Ltd and its parent company, Criterion Capital, in early 2025, claiming that the developers were trying to “bully us out of the building”.
When negotiating an extension to the cinema’s lease, Zedwell reportedly asked, as part of a package of proposed measures which remain under negotiation, to add a break clause allowing them to end the agreement if they received permission to develop the land.
The Prince Charles alleged that this demonstrated the company’s intent to evict them in favour of a luxury development in Leicester Square.
It also claimed that Zedwell asked for a rent increase “far above market rates” and beyond what they could reasonably pay in an attempt to force them out.
Criterion’s position, though, is that it has previously leased to the Prince Charles at an “exceptionally low” rate and that a professional valuation it obtained advised that the new rate would be fair.
In response to the proposed changes, cinema management set up the SaveThePCC campaign and took Zedwell to court to contest the valuation of the lease, while also securing a designation from the local council as an asset of community value.
This means that the landlord must notify the council if it intends to put the building up for sale, and councillors can then impose a six-month delay to allow the local community an opportunity to fundraise and match the fair value of the site.
“It feels to us that every way possible there is to slow it down and make it more expensive is chosen,” said Freedman, adding that the legal battle had been “expensive” and “tiresome”.
“These tactics are an attempt to use significant financial resources to intimidate us regardless of legal entitlement.”
Following the launch of the campaign, the Prince Charles received a wave of support from the public, with over 167,000 people signing a petition to keep the building open.
The cinema is also being flooded with support from A-listers such as Paul Mescal and Edgar Wright.
Following the release of his new summer blockbuster, The Odyssey, Nolan said: “Film culture in Great Britain is unthinkable without the Prince Charles.”
Director Paul Thomas Anderson also expressed his love for the iconic picture house, saying it has “a place in my heart”.
Asked about progress in resolving the dispute with Criterion and the relationship between the two side, Freedman added: “Our lawyers have a relationship with their lawyers.
“We haven’t heard from them since last January.”
Nonetheless, he insisted the cinema is willing to go “all the way” to protect their business “if that means leaving it for a judge to decide, so be it”.
A spokesperson for Criterion said: “The Prince Charles Cinema is an iconic and much-loved part of London’s West End. It is also a successful commercial business and, like any other business occupying premises in the West End, it should pay a fair market rent.
“The historic passing rent is exceptionally low under a lease originally granted in the 1960s and bears no meaningful relationship to the rental value of the premises today. The central disagreement between the parties is about what constitutes a fair market rent for a new lease.
“The proposed break provision referred to in the article is one element of a wider set of lease negotiations. It is misleading to consider any individual provision in isolation while those negotiations remain ongoing. We remain open to discussing the overall lease terms with the tenant with the objective of reaching a fair commercial agreement.
“We have taken professional valuation advice and believe our position on rent is fair and sustainable. The detailed terms being discussed between the parties are confidential and we do not believe those negotiations should be conducted through the media.
“The cinema’s iconic status is something we recognise and value. But that should not mean that a successful private business continues to benefit from a historic rent that bears no relationship to current market value.
“Our objective remains straightforward: to agree fair commercial terms for a new lease and for the Prince Charles Cinema to continue operating.”
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