Benedict Cumberbatch (And Other Celebs) Rallies To Save Kensington Odeon

The Kensington Odeon cinema has some big names trying to save it from demolition. Minerva, a JV between Delancy and Ares, obtained planning approval to transform the old Art Deco jewel into 42 new apartments.

Celebs, including Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, David Suchet, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sir Ian McKellen, have joined a campaign to save the 1,300-seat cinema.

Alfred Hitchcock’s 88-year-old daughter, Patricia Hitchcock O’Connell, who heads up the The Hitchcock Foundation, is spearheading the push to save the movie house. The celeb—and nearly 30,000 other people—want the site to be a cultural hub called The Hitchcock, in honour of the director who watched films at the cinema when he lived in the area, according to Bdaily.  

In a letter to Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council, Patricia said: "The Hitchcock O’Connell Family wholeheartedly support Guy Oliver, Bruce Guthrie and The Friends of the Kensington (Odeon)'s campaign to designate that important building as an Asset of Community value. Furthermore, we endorse the proposal to create a mixed arts centre on the site and to name it in the memory and celebrate the legacy of my father, a regular at this cinema and a proud resident of Kensington.“

Supporters say the move of the Design Museum to the area in November creates an opportunity to foster a cultural hub in Kensington.

The council is due to make a decision on the building’s status this year. [BD]