The curtain will go up at Stelios Haji-Ioannou's introductory easyCinema site on 23 May.

What was formerly UCI's 10-screen operation, The Point in Milton Keynes, has been leased to provide the first in a roll out of low-cost cinemas, with tickets booked in advance being available from about 20p.

Prices will rise to nearer £5 as the screening time approaches. They will also reflect whether the film has just been released or has been running for a while.

The cinemas will have fewer staff, with no box office - all bookings being made via the internet - and no facility for purchasing refreshments.

Haji-Ioannou is reported to be expecting problems with film distributors, who traditionally take a percentage of ticket revenues, but to whom he proposes offering a lump sum instead. He has said his lawyers are ready for the challenge.

Of the easyCinema concept, he said: I've made many mistakes in other industries by rolling things out too fast so I'm going to sit on my hands for six months to a year before I try another cinema.

The Point, adjacent to the Central Milton Keynes shopping mall, was the first multi-plex operation to open in the UK, in the mid-1980s. Details: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk and type 'Stelios' in the News search engine.