It was constructed in 2001 on the former site of Green’s Playhouse, a cinema which also held a record; the largest number of seats for a cinema auditorium in Europe with a capacity of 4,368. It operated from 1927 until 1973, when it became the Apollo, a live music venue that saw Johnny Cash perform on its grand opening in September 1973. It closed in 1985 and was demolished shortly thereafter in 1987.

The current cinema was built and operated by French company UGC until 2005, when they sold all of their UK branches to the Cineworld Group. Its steel frame houses 18 screens over nine levels, with its most impressive feature the large glass wall that looks over West Nile towards the Royal Concert Hall.