Cineworld’s multiplex on Broad Street and the Odeon Luxe at Broadway Plaza are both opening to film addicts on Christmas Day.
The cinemas will be screening a mixture of movies on 25 December including Hollywood, British, Bollywood and other foreign films to appeal to a broad church of faiths.
When Cineworld first opened on Christmas Day in 2015, more than 100 tickets were sold in advance for Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the giant IMAX screen.
Even the then duty manager Andrew Henderson was glad to be trading, saying: “I might as well be working as my family are all down in Wales!”
Staff members who had had relatives as far away as India, Iceland and the Philippines were also happy to chip in.
Even The Church of England approved, too. Janet Chapman, the Canon Liturgist at St Philip’s Cathedral, said: “In a city as diverse as Birmingham it’s understandable for a cinema to want to open on Christmas Day
“Lots of people will spend Christmas Day alone but I would those who want to go to church can still do that.”
What’s on Christmas Day this year
Confirmed screenings to date at both cinemas (unless one site is specified) include:
Anyone But You (12A, 103 mins): New comedy with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell pretending to be a couple at a wedding. Cineworld.
Ferrari (15, 130 mins): Racing legend biopic directed by Michael Mann (Heat).
Next Goal Wins (103 mins): Comedy about the world’s worst national football team which can’t even score. Cineworld.
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (12A, 124 mins): Horror director James Wan switches track to this DC Comics sequel with Ben Affleck and Nicole Kidman alongside Jason Momoa.
Dunki (Hindi) (15, 159 mins): Rajkumar Hirani’s comedy drama about Punjabi villagers who dream about England.
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (18, 174 mins): Prashant Neel directs this action thriller about a gang leader with a promise to fulfil on behalf of a dying friend. Showing in Telugu at both Cineworld and Odeon, but also in Tamil and Hindi formats at Odeon, too.
Wonka (PG, 116 mins): Timothée Chalamet stars alongside Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Coleman, Sally Hawkins and Matt Lucas in a British prequel to the Roald Dahl story.
Wish (U, 95 mins): Disney animation’s latest musical comedy. Odeon.
Godzilla Minus One (12A, 128 mins): A 70th anniversary monster movie brilliant rolled into the impact of the Second World War on Japanese families. Odeon.
Cinema details
Cineworld with IMAX and 4DX is at 181 Broad Street B15 1DA. Odeon Luxe Broadway Plaza with iSense and Dolby Screen is at 220 Ladywood Middleway, Birmingham B16 8LP
All tickets can be booked online in advance and at each site you can validate your car parking ticket for three free hours. Cineworld has an onsite Starbucks and Odeon includes Costa Coffee.
Websites: https://www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/birmingham-broadway-plaza and https://www.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/birmingham-broad-street.
