A NEW official opening date for an eight-screen independent cinema in East Lancashire has been confirmed.

The £6.5million Reel Cinema in Blackburn town centre, which is part of an ambitious project to regenerate Blakey Moor and the town’s night-time economy, is now set to open its doors in November.

Lancashire Telegraph:

It was hoped work would be finished on the building in time for Easter, but due to the coronavirus crisis, progress was severely delayed.

A spokesperson for Reel cinemas said: "We're on track to open in November, a great time for cinema as the Christmas releases are set to be some of the biggest of the year.

"The fit out is due to start in August and we are grateful that contractors have managed to make great progress over the past few months but clearly and understandably it's taken a little longer than planned.

"We can't wait to introduce our new state of the art cinema to the people of Blackburn, which will feature a bar, coffee shop and Cream and Cones - our market leading dessert bar.

Lancashire Telegraph:

"No Time To Die, the delayed James Bond release is due to open on November 12, and the Christmas releases of Peter Rabbit 2, Dune, West Side Story and Top Gun Maverick all look like they'll be keeping the box office busy."

The 2,400m2 single storey cinema, on the former Waves Leisure Centre site, will include cafes, a dessert bar, an under-croft car park and a public realm outdoor space, better linking the areas surrounding Northgate, King George’s Hall and Blackburn College.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Work started on the site in August 2018, and in December Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Growth and Development at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: “It has been very exciting watching the work progress on this fantastic building, it looks really impressive.

“The regeneration of the Northgate area is really coming along, and this is right at the centre of it all.”