£21m new Backlot Cinema and Diner all set to open in Blackpool with Dune:Part Two on the IMAX screen

The final touches are being made to the Backlot Cinema and Diner in Blackpool which is due to open on Friday, March 22.

The £21m multiplex cinema featuring one of the largest IMAX screens in the country, accompanied by a themed Backlot Diner, has been built as part of the second phase of the Houndshill Shopping Centre.

Investment includes £5m of funding from the government’s Covid-19 Getting Building Fund, with the balance coming from council borrowing, plus a further £6m investment in the fit-out of the building including the IMAX screen.

The screen, measuring 10.85m high and 19.87m wide, will be equipped with the company’s most advanced theatrical experience, IMAX with Laser. Immersive by design, IMAX with Laser has been developed from the ground up to deliver crystal clear, lifelike images and precision audio. The first film to be shown on the IMAX screen will be Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, Dune: Part Two.

The Backlot’s business manager Fabio Vidotti said: "We have been busy working on building a fantastic cinematic wonderland and we can’t wait to welcome the Blackpool community to see what we’ve created.

"The Backlot will bring an unrivalled experience to the town, from the delicious diner to the big screen cinema, the exceptional event calendar and the five-star service that will be part of every visit.”

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Work to build the cinema on the site of the former Tower Street car park began in September 2021, with nine screens in total, 850 luxury seats and the Backlot Diner which will occupy restaurant space in the scheme.

Blackpool has been without a mainstream cinema since the Odeon on Rigby Road closed in June last year when the lease came to an end. Previously the council has said the new development will draw in an extra 1.2 million shoppers and visitors to the Houndshill Shopping Centre, which it owns.

Homes and garden retailer Wilko had been due to move into retail space in the building until the collapse of the chain last year, with the council in talks to find a new occupier. The council bought the Houndshill Shopping Centre for £47.6m in November 2019 as part of its long-term strategy to revitalise the town centre.