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Name revealed for new independent city cinema

Eleanor Lawson
BBC News, West Midlands
City of Wolverhampton Council Three men stand in a line and smile at the camera. They stand in an area of the cinema being refurbished. The walls and blue with white paint marks on them and on the left a workman in a hi-vis jacket carries a plank of wood.City of Wolverhampton Council
Council leader Stephen Simkins, PDJ director James Jervis and councillor Chris Burden between screens one and two of the new cinema

The name of a new independent cinema in Wolverhampton's Grade II listed Chubb Building has been revealed.

Lockworks Cinema is taking over the space that was previously The Light House, an independent cinema and arts venue which closed in 2022 after 35 years.

The council-owned space will be run by independent commercial operator PDJ, which is converting it from a two-screen cinema to a "state-of-the-art" four-screen offering, City of Wolverhampton Council said.

PDJ chose the new name in tribute to the building's heritage, as it was once the headquarters of Chubb Locks.

Redevelopment works are ongoing, and the cinema is on course to open to the public ahead of the school summer holidays, the firm said.

It is also recruiting locally for three permanent and 20 part-time jobs.

PDJ already runs cinemas in Worthing, Kings Lynn and Lytham St Annes, and has reopened the former Empire in Walthamstow as Forest Cinemas and Sutton Coldfield as the Royal Cinema.

PDJ Management A CGI rendering of what one of the cinema screens might look like, showing yellow and dark grey seats in front of a screen showing Tom Cruise in a fighter plane in Top Gun 2. The walls are also orange.PDJ Management
The name of the new independent cinema replacing The Light House in Wolverhampton has been revealed

PDJ and the council are making a £2m joint investment in the "critical" refurbishment and have entered into a 30-year lease.

The council says the new-look venue is predicted to attract up to 130,000 visitors a year to the city centre and boost the local economy by half-a-million pounds annually.

PDJ Management A CGI rendering of what the cinema's lobby will look like, showing brick walls and long windows with curved tops. Six cinema posters are on the wall on the left and green and brown seats are placed near the wall. PDJ Management
The cinema is set to open before the summer holidays, according to operator PDJ

James Jervis, director at PDJ Management, said he could not wait to "throw open the doors".

"We are absolutely delighted with the progress so far on the site," he added.

Authority leader councillor Stephen Simkins said the refurbishment would provide "an exciting, affordable luxury offer in our city centre" that would enhance the existing arts, culture and entertainment scene.

Google A brick building on a street corner with a sign saying 'The Chubb Buildings'. Its doors are bright green.Google
Lockworks Cinema is taking over the space that was previously The Light House cinema and arts venue, in the Grade II-listed Chubb Building

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