Back to the future Pic:nerdreactor.com
Secret Cinemas’ much hyped opening night screening of ‘Back to the Future’ in Hackney was cancelled last night and has been cancelled again this evening. Organisers said on their official facebook page, they had “no choice but to cancel” after coming across a “number of issues we have not experienced previously.”
“ The site is looking spectacular so please standby for further information about Saturday night. As you can imagine we are hugely disappointed and share the immense frustration you are all feeling.”
Tickets for the outdoor screening of the 1980s classic time-travel comedy cost £53.50 and was due to open on July 24, 2014 at 5.15pm. However, it was cancelled just hours before the screening in Hackney Wick yesterday and again today.
Ticket holders, many of whom had travelled long distances, took to Facebook to vent their frustration. Arran Essex posted: “I’m sorry but just putting “unavoidable circumstances beyond our control” shows no respect to the people who have bought tickets, costumes, props, paid for travel, paid for accommodation and any other costs.”
Donna Southall said: “We’ve driven 5 hours, cost £50 in fuel, £115 hotel, I’ve taken 2 days off work and it’s cancelled an hour before we were due to leave the hotel. If we’d known about it earlier we would have saved time and money.”
Secret Cinema have not offered any other reason for the cancellation but there have been rumours on social media that the sets were unfinished or that a licensing issue prevented the event going ahead.
But if my parents don’t meet tonight at #SecretCinema then I’ll never be born and I’ll never finish writing th
— David Morrison (@david_morrison) July 24, 2014
Some advice for Secret Cinema from Twitter
The Back to the Future screenings, which promised an immersive experienced in which audiences can interact with recreated sets from the film, has proven incredibly popular. It is expected that over 80,000 tickets will be sold for the run which extends to August 31, 2014 and 17,000 tickets sold in the first four minutes.
Secret Cinema Founder, Fabien Riggall, told Empire Magazine that the sets had been meticulous planned and designed including daily contact with (Back To The Future co-writer) Bob Gale. Riggall said: “this film is so well-loved, so if we mess up anything we’re in trouble!”
