A new mural has been unveiled in The Custard Factory to tie in with the opening of the all-new Odeon Luxe cinema at Broadway Plaza in Birmingham.

The huge spray painting, under one of the railway arches, depicts Birmingham actors from the Star Wars films including the late Kenny Baker who appears as the iconic R2D2, and Felicity Jones from Bournville who appears as her movie character Jyn Erso.

The final Odeon Luxe street at mural at the Custard Factory in DigbethOdeon
The final Odeon Luxe street at mural at the Custard Factory in Digbeth

Odeon commissioned a striking piece of street art at the Custard Factory in collaboration with local street and graffiti artist Andrew ‘Title’ Mills to mark the official launch of the newly renovated Odeon Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza cinema.

The artwork, which covers 6.5 x 3.5 meters and took over 35 hours to spray paint, has been produced to encapsulate Odeon’s long-lasting connection to the city along with some of the greatest moments in Birmingham’s film history, stretching from the 1930’s to the present day.

R2D2, famously portrayed by Birmingham actor Kenny Baker, features in the Odeon Luxe mural in DigbethRangzeb Hussain
R2D2, famously portrayed by Birmingham actor Kenny Baker, features in the Odeon Luxe mural in Digbeth

The colourful and eye-catching mural in Digbeth, which local residents can head down to enjoy from today, includes a portrait of Odeon’s founder, Oscar Deutsch, who was born in Balsall Heath in 1893 and who opened his first modern, art-deco inspired Odeon cinema in Perry Barr in 1930.

The Beatles, who performed at the Birmingham Odeon in 1965, are featured in the special street art muralRangzeb Hussain
The Beatles, who performed at the Birmingham Odeon in 1965, are featured in the special street art mural
The city skyline featuring the Rotunda, Selfridges and Birmingham Central Mosque is included in the Odeon Luxe street art muralRangzeb Hussain
The city skyline featuring the Rotunda, Selfridges and Birmingham Central Mosque is included in the Odeon Luxe street art mural

There is also a reference to The Beatles – portraying John Lennon and Paul McCartney – who performed at the Odeon in December 1965; and what appears to be a tribute to local surrealist painter Conroy Maddox, who was often described as ‘The Bohemian from Balsall Heath”.

The lower section of the mural features the Birmingham skyline with iconic buildings such as the Rotunda, the church of St. Martin in the Bullring, the Selfridges building, and Birmingham Central Mosque.

Street artist Andrew Mills - known as 'Title' - produced the 6.5 x 3.5 meters mural celebrating Birmingham's film and cinema historyRangzeb Hussain
Street artist Andrew Mills – known as ‘Title’ – produced the 6.5 x 3.5 meters mural celebrating Birmingham’s film and cinema history
Film fans visiting the new ODEON Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza will also enjoy a complete overhaul of the technologyHandout
The cinema in Broadway Plaza, Birmingham, is the UK’s biggest Odeon Luxe complex, complete with 1,264 brand-new, handmade, luxury recliner seats across 12 screens

The newly revamped and rebranded Birmingham cinema is the UK’s biggest Odeon Luxe complex, complete with 1,264 brand-new, handmade, luxury recliner seats across 12 screens, with state-of-the-art iSense screen with 4K projection.

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