A North Yorkshire cinema will re-open under a new name and management a year after its operator went into administration.

The former Empire Cinema in Catterick will re-open within weeks - this time under operator Savoy.

Based in the Midlands, the chain has cinemas in Doncaster and Nottingham - with Catterick being the seventh in the UK.

Its latest acquisition, the seven-screen cinema is set to open in the next few weeks with films Beetlejuice Sequel, Joker: Follie a Deux, Paddington, Gladiator 2, Wicked and Moana 2.

James Collington, the Managing Director of Savoy Cinemas, said: "We are delighted to announce our acquisition of the old Empire Cinema in Catterick Garrison.

"Our goal is to prepare for the opening as quickly as possible to provide the local community with the Savoy experience.

"With a few adjustments and the installation of new laser projectors, we are confident we’ll be able to open our doors very soon.

"As the cinema operates in the upcoming months, we plan to renovate each screen to elevate the cinema experience to meet our high standards."

Empire Cinemas, which operated locations in both Catterick and Sunderland, announced on social media on July 7 last year that the two branches in the North East were closed with immediate effect.

In a statement online, Chief Executive Justin Robbins confirmed the news and stated the chain has been unable to recover from the “long-term” effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A full statement read: “As a consequence of COVID-19, where we were mandated by the Government to close down our cinema chain in its entirety for protracted periods in 2020 and 2021 and this left us with a high fixed cost base and no income.

“Cinema attendance levels have not yet returned to pre-COVID-19 levels and the operating environment remains extremely challenging.”