Empire Empress Walk 10 Cinemas
5095 Yonge Street,
Toronto,
ON
M2N 6Y7
5095 Yonge Street,
Toronto,
ON
M2N 6Y7
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This theatre opened in 1999 and it was a Famous Players Silvercity. Due to a merger between Cineplex and Famous Players, they needed to sell off 27 theatres due to government law. Empire Theatres bought 27 theatres and Silvercity Empress Walk was one of them. The Empress Walk theatre still have KFC, Pizza Hut and New York Files. The theatre also served as an Ontario head office of Empire Theatres.
It was closed on March 21, 2013.
Contributed by
Michael Ing
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
Unbelievable, would never have thought that, especially in that neighbourhood.
Latest rumour I’ve heard about this place is that Cineplex is moving up the street from Sheppard Centre to this location. If true, wonder why they’d leave Sheppard Centre. I actually prefer Sheppard Centre to this one, seems classier, sort of like an uptown version of their Varsity cinemas.
I don’t believe Cineplex would want this location. This location under-performed from day one and Famous Players was never happy with the results. When the decision was made to build there, it was a classic situation of the left hand not working with the right hand. Over its 80 year history, Famous Players Canadian Corporation did have a few failures (or theatres that underperformed). Thorncliffe Park Mall Cinemas couldn’t work under Famous Players, Twinex or Premier (Famous Players affiliates). The Cinema in the Toronto Dominion Centre failed because people wouldn’t go back there at night after working all day downtown — and there were a few others — but very few!!
Another story I’ve read says that the Empress Walk is indeed closing down, but the Cineplex at Sheppard Centre is also closing for exciting renovations. Haven’t read anything about this on the Cineplex web site and there have been no announcements under “press releases” so don’t know what’s going on with either location.
I remember both of those locations David. Didn’t the Thorncliffe only last a couple of years? I loved The Cinema, saw a few big ones there, but you’re right, seemed like it was definitely in the wrong location at the time. When it opened back in 1967, I remember reading that Famous Players opened it to replace the Tivoli on Richmond St. But that was much closer to Yonge St and all the shopping, restaurants etc…
Yes, Thorncliffe only lasted a few years. There was a theatre built in Forest Hill for the elite, called the Village Theatre and the candy bar business was operated on the honour system — and when the inventory was done it always came out OVER!!!! As to THE CINEMA AT THE TD Centre even the name was snobby and elitist and Famous Players spent a fortune on the lobby chairs, etc. Mr. Reuben Bolstad was President of Famous Players when the TD Cinema opened!
Any idea David why this one didn’t work out, yet the former Grande down the street seems to do well? They usually showed different types of films with this one getting more of the “blockbuster” type and the Cineplex getting more of the artsy type. With the Hullmark Centre, the Emerald towers and the Gibson towers all opening within the next few years, you would think that the “downtown” of the former North York could handle 20 screens in the neighbourhood. And coming soon too are all the giant towers at City Park Place along Sheppard. Quite interesting.
Within a few months of this place opening, we could see by the figures that this place just wasn’t going to make it. When they consider building theatres they do projections but if the projections are enhanced just to get the “go ahead” answer then failure later must be dealt with!!
I heard recently that someone was in Empress Walk and there signs there saying that Cineplex is coming in June, so I guess Cineplex really IS moving up the street from Sheppard Centre. I guess it will get the business now since it will be the only cinema in the area. Unless of course Empire moves in to Sheppard Centre LOL
It’s official, from today’s Toronto Star, Cineplex taking over this site. http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2013/04/25/cineplex_pulls_theatre_switcheroo_at_yonge_and_sheppard.html