Melbourne’s historic Pentridge prison site is set to become the latest home for movie lovers from December 2020. Palace Cinemas, Australia’s largest independent cinema group, will open Melbourne’s newest cinema – Pentridge Cinema – just in time for Christmas. The 15-screen cinema complex will be located within the Pentridge development in Coburg, a site that comprises 6.7 hectares of entertainment, dining, public spaces and specialty stores.
Palace Cinemas is renowned for its curation of high-quality films and international film festivals, with Pentridge Cinema becoming its largest to date showcasing Hollywood’s best and most prominent new releases. The cinema complex can hold up to 1,100 guests across its 15 auditoriums, all with luxurious fully-reclining seats and boasting Dolby Atmos surround sound, promising the most elevated cinema viewing experience possible.
Palace Cinemas CEO, Benjamin Zeccola said that Pentridge Cinema will open with a full slate of new release films including blockbusters such, Death On The Nile, Coming 2 America, Free Guy & Wonder Woman 1984 along with family-friendly favourites such as Peter Rabbit 2, Connected and Soul. Zeccola explained that the $2 million Pentridge restoration project built within the historic site includes contemporary architecture and engaging public spaces, including a 6,500 square metre piazza. It will transition into a community inclusive space that champions both adaptive reuse architecture, as well as the iconic heritage aspects that feature stories from the former prison.
Zeccola said that the opening of Pentridge Cinema will be a welcomed addition to the inner northern suburb of Coburg. With Covid-19 heavily impacting the operations of cinemas for the majority of 2020, the opening comes at a much-needed time.
“Cinema is a window to see the magic of the world, a safe place where communities meet for shared powerful experiences that move them to laughter, thrills and tears. A place for date night, girls night, family-time or a day with old friends. A place where memories are forged throughout generations,” Zeccola commented “More Australians go to the movies than any other venue or event, reminding us how vital cinema is to our way of life and we can’t wait to open the newest edition to the Palace Cinemas family – Pentridge Cinemas,”.
The Pentridge precinct is a Shayher Group development and will be a space that offers something for the whole family. It will become a meeting place for Coburg residents and a place to interact and socialise in a post-Covid world.
“Our vision for Pentridge is to create a vibrant, well-designed urban village that breathes new life into this historical asset, transforming it from one of Australia’s most prominent jails into a new community hub complete with retail, housing, community areas and open public spaces”, says Shayher Group spokesman, Anthony Goh.
Zeccola pointed out that when the cinema opens in December, there will be safety procedures in place to keep moviegoers protected. These include checkerboard seating allocation, allowing friends and family to sit together in groups of 2 whilst being physically distanced from other cinema-goers.