{"id":159944,"date":"2025-06-05T10:18:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T10:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/159944\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T10:18:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T10:18:17","slug":"russell-crowe-backs-calls-to-stop-iconic-birmingham-landmark-from-being-destroyed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/159944\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell Crowe backs calls to stop iconic Birmingham landmark from being &#8216;destroyed&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gladiator actor Russell Crowe and Shaun of the Dead creator Edgar Wright have both shared the call to save The Electric Cinema<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_Station.jpg\" alt=\"Station Street in Birmingham\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Station Street in Birmingham(Image: Kirsty Bosley)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Hollywood star Russell Crowe and Shawn of the Dead creator Edgar Wright are among the latest names to throw their support behind the campaign to save an ailing <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Birmingham<\/a> landmark.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The two film icons shared a message asking about the future of <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/all-about\/electric-cinema-birmingham\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"The Electric CinemaLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">The Electric Cinema<\/a> on the city centre road after it was posted by Darren John, the campaigner behind Save Station Street.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Darren posted on X: &#8220;The UK&#8217;s oldest working cinema, Birmingham&#8217;s The Electric, has been closed for 460 days &#8216;thanks&#8217; to Glenbrook Property who want to destroy it for a tower. 115 years of UK cinema history&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Read more: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/whats-on\/family-kids-news\/gallery\/photos-show-snippet-new-giant-31785746\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Photos show snippet of new &#039;giant&#039; attraction coming to Birmingham this summerLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Photos show snippet of new &#8216;giant&#8217; attraction coming to Birmingham this summer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/data.reachplc.com\/230101373912847\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to the Brum Food ClubLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe to the Brum Food Club<\/a> for a weekly food and drink newsletter, in your inbox, every Thursday. It&#8217;s free.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">&#8220;When will @RhonddaBryant @LisaNandy @RichParkerLab @CllrJohnCotton and @Cllr_Suleman take action?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Russell Crowe shared the message with his 2.8 million followers while Edgar Wright reposted it to his 824,000 subscribers.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_IMG_20240510_200417_803.jpg\" alt=\"The Electric Cinema sits empty\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>The Electric Cinema sits empty(Image: Kirsty Bosley)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The Electric Cinema was the UK&#8217;s oldest working cinema until <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/whats-on\/whats-on-news\/electric-cinema-close-staff-confirm-28728199\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"it closed in February 2024Link opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">it closed in February 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Since then, the venue has remained closed to the public while a desperate <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/news\/midlands-news\/birminghams-electric-cinema-listed-breaking-31134746\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"bid to have it listed to secure its future failedLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">bid to have it listed to secure its future failed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Now the concern is that the cinema is &#8216;<a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/news\/midlands-news\/birminghams-electric-cinema-listed-breaking-31134746\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"at risk of the wrecking ballLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">at risk of the wrecking ball<\/a>&#8216;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Station Street is a culturally significant stretch of road in Birmingham, with the UK&#8217;s oldest repertory theatre, the Old Rep, and the birthplace of heavy metal, The Crown Pub, on the same 120m as The Electric.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The Crown was the first venue to host Black Sabbath gigs, forming the foundations of a genre that thrives to this day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">The eyes of the world will turn towards Birmingham for Black Sabbath&#8217;s final gig on July 5 when Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler come together for one last performance at <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/all-about\/villa-park-stadium\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Villa Park Stadium<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Thousands of people are expected to visit the city to attend the 40,000-capacity concert, with bands like Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax on the bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">It&#8217;s expected that fans will flock to The Crown to see where it all began, a stone&#8217;s throw from <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/whats-on\/music-nightlife-news\/gallery\/black-sabbath-mural-birmingham-breaking-31768928\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"a huge Black Sabbath mural that&#039;s currently being completed on Navigation StreetLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">a huge Black Sabbath mural that&#8217;s currently being completed on Navigation Street<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">However, there won&#8217;t be much to see as it stands &#8211; the pub, owned by Japanese hotel company Toyoko Inns still sits empty, graffiti-covered and unused despite <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/news\/midlands-news\/black-sabbath-pub-owners-insist-31535044\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Toyoko&#039;s insistence that it has a plan for the venueLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Toyoko&#8217;s insistence that it has a plan for the venue<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">As well as Black Sabbath, artists including The Who, Status Quo, UB40, Duran Duran, Thin Lizzy, Marc Bolan, Supertramp, Judas Priest and a number of Robert Plant&#8217;s pre-Led Zeppelin bands played at the venue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Its future remains uncertain and BirminghamLive has attempted to contact Toyoko Inns for an update ahead of the Black Sabbath concert.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gladiator actor Russell Crowe and Shaun of the Dead creator Edgar Wright have both shared the call to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,983,748,67538,393,4884,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-159944","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-birmingham-city-centre","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-electric-cinema-birmingham","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114630250158451556","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}