Palace's 15-Screen Pentridge Cinema Is Set to Open in the Former Coburg Prison Site

It has been a sparse year for Melbourne movie buffs, with the city's cinemas closing down not once but twice in 2020 due to COVID-19. But when projectors start whirring again — when the metro Melbourne area reaches the fourth step in its current five-step roadmap out of lockdown, which is currently at step two — cinephiles will have a new picture palace to frequent, with Palace Cinemas opening a new 15-screen site at the former Pentridge prison in Coburg.

Originally announced back in 2016, Pentridge Cinema is set to launch in December. An exact date us yet to be revealed, but its silver screens will be getting a workout before Christmas hits. When those doors do open, the venue will be able to seat 1100 film fans across its various auditoriums (before taking social-distancing into account via a chequerboard seating arrangement). Each individual theatre will be fitted out with reclining seats with individual tables and footrests, too — and film-goers will have access to a menu of food and booze as well.

Although movie release dates are constantly subject to change in 2020 — No Time to Die, Fast and Furious 9 and Dune have all shifted their plans in just the past few days, for example — the new Pentridge cinema is planning to kick into gear with some big titles. On its lineup: two Gal Gadot-starring flicks, aka Death On The Nile and Wonder Woman 1984, plus Pixar's Soul, Eddie Murphy vehicle Coming 2 America, the Ryan Reynolds-led Free Guy, and family-friendly features Peter Rabbit 2 and Connected.

(There's no word yet regarding screenings of famed prison-set movies — think The Rock, Escape from Alcatraz or The Shawshank Redemption — but it sure does seem like the place for that type of retro program.)

The $2 million cinema isn't the only new addition to the Coburg spot. The entire precinct spans 6.7 hectares, and it has been undergoing quite the revamp. On offer: shops, dining, entertainment spaces and public areas, including a 6500-square-metre piazza. Some heritage elements from the prison have been retained, and the site will also showcase stories about its former life in its design.

Palace's new Pentridge Cinema will open at 1 Champ Street, Coburg, sometime in December — we'll update you with an exact date when it is announced.