Cineworld

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Cineworld Cinemas is a multiplex cinema chain in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Jersey. It is a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. The first Cineworld opened in July 1996. The chain now operates 78 cinemas in the UK, one in the Republic of Ireland (in Dublin) and one in Jersey (in St. Helier) as a result of its takeover of the UK and Ireland operations of the French cinema company, UGC. It is the second largest cinema operator in the UK with over 800 screens, and the owner of the single largest multiplex by screens in Ireland (though the Vue cinema in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is larger by customer base).

In July 2005 it began integrating the two chains, taking the opportunity to introduce a new company logotype (with a shortened name, "Cineworld Cinemas"). Cineworld will retain the UGC Unlimited Card (taken form Virgin Cinemas orginally) and the UGC in-house magazine, also called Unlimited. The rebranding process of the former UGC cinemas was completed in September 2005, and as of April 2006 the companies websites and booking lines were merged into one combined service at cineworld.co.uk although the Cineworld Ireland site is still under development

As part of the merger with the former UGC brand the Office of Fair Trading announced that Cineworld must divest itself of six of its locations: Bishop's Stortford, Ealing, Slough, Sunderland, Swindon and Wigan. These are currently being sold to Empire Cinemas and will be rebranded by the end of 2006 (four now done so). The Cineworld Birmingham — Great Park site was also later sold to Empire Cinemas to be rebranded again by the end of 2006 leaving the company with 71 total sites.

As part of further developments plans have been made to build more Cineworld sites within the next few years to include a new site at Haverhill but this has yet to be offically denied or confirmed by Cineworld theirself whilst older original cineworld sites will gain the newer logo types as they undergo referbishment.