The latest movie theater news and updates

  • September 29, 2010

    Fourteen-screen megaplex coming to Centerville

    CENTERVILLE, UT — Ground has been broken here for the construction of what will be the sixth Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatre. The Larry H. Miller Group, which also includes auto dealerships, currently operates eighty-four screens in Utah. In addition, another nine screens will be added to the company’s Megaplex Theatre in Lehi.

    There is more in the Deseret News.

  • New art cinema opening in Coral Gables

    CORAL GABLES, FL — Located in the Coral Gables arts district at 260 Aragon Avenue in a city-owned building, the new 144-seat Coral Gables Art Cinema is expected to open in mid-October. It will be operated by the non-profit Coral Gables Cinemateque, Inc. under the terms of a long-term lease.

    The cinema is positioned to become an important destination for film lovers in Greater Miami and beyond with the most advanced technology of any stand-alone, nonprofit movie theater in the region, 144 stadium-configured seats, and a comfortable, intimate space in the heart of Coral Gables' cultural district.

    Pictures and additional detail are in the Miami Herald.

  • Long-closed Olympic Theater razed by fire

    FORKS, WA — Closed and boarded up for over two decades, the Olympic Theater burned to the ground in an early morning fire on September 22. Investigators are currently saying that the fire was of suspicious origin.

    There is more information and pictures in this blog entry and also here.

  • September 28, 2010

    Nashville has lost nearly half its screens since May

    NASHVILLE, TN — Floods in May and a recent August theater closing have nearly cut in half the number of operating theater screens in the Nashville area. The flood victims were the Regal Opry Mills 20 & IMAX and Regal Bellevue Cinema 12. The Carmike Bell Forge 10 closed in August and is slated to become an Islamic Center. Regal had planned major renovations for the Bellevue Cinema 12 prior to the flood, but now appears to be non-committal about the theater’s future.

    That has left a city that once had more than 100 movie screens down to just over 50 at about a half-dozen major movie theaters. A total of 43 screens are out of commission.

    Meanwhile, Regal’s move to buy the Bellevue property comes as it announced it was adding giant screens with an all-digital format called the Regal Premium Experience in three new locations. The concept already exists in New York City and Miami.

    There is more in the Tennessean.

  • Balaban and Katz return

    David Balaban grandson of one of the original owners of Balaban and Katz (David Balaban) has reopened Balaban and Katz as Balaban and Katz Theatres LLC.

    The new organization be involved in historic preservation, offer reproductions of original B and K materials such as Balaban and Katz Magazines. It is also producing traveling silent movie shows at public libraries beginning this fall. Balaban says, we will attempt to recreate the feeling of going to a Balaban and Katz theatres in the 1920’s. Jesse crawford organ music will play during intermission on wind up victrolas. We may even have ushers in tuxedos we will have to see. The first two libraries to sign on to The Balaban and Katz shows are the Belleville New Jersey Library ( three shows in November) and the Bloomfield New Jersey Library ( three shows in January). The new company also operates a news site here.

    For more information please email .

  • Baronet Theatre torn down in Asbury Park

    ASBURY PARK, NJ — After almost 100 years, the Baronet Theatre was unfortunately razed last week.

    Giberson said the roof of the Baronet caved in to the interior of the theatre, probably sometime during the winter.

    “With the conditions found there, there was no saving it at this point,‘’ Giberson said.

    Read the full story at APP.com.

  • September 27, 2010

    Plaza Theatre in Carpinteria closes

    CARPINTERIA, CA — Metropolitan Theaters has closed the Plaza. It operated the 1940’s as the Del Mar, then for a time as a Pussycat Theater before being remodeled by Metropolitan in 2005 and returned mainstream cinema use.

    Former employees of the movie house were offered positions within the MTC family of theaters that are located throughout Santa Barbara. MTC is currently in talks with local community organizations that may be interested in utilizing the venue for their operations. Corwin says his ideal scenario would be to secure a financial commitment from a business or organization that can either work in tandem with a movie theater operation or eventually replace it. Local church groups and the Carpinteria Valley Arts Council have been contacted by MTC.

    The story is the Santa Barabara Independent.

  • “Classic Hollywood Cinemas” documentary coming soon

    “Classic Hollywood Cinemas” - a Jorge Ameer documentary

    Where the movie theatres are the stars!!!!

    LOGLINE: Where the movie theatres are the stars!!!! An in depth look at the movie houses that have helped shaped the history and heritage of Hollywood from its golden age to today.

  • City offers $200,000 as incentive to lure new theater

    PRINCETON, IN — Fearful that AMC will be closing the Princeton Theater, the city is offering $25,000 each year for eight years to Showplace Cinemas of Evansville to build a new theater on a former Kmart site. While acknowledging that the use of economic development tax funds for this purpose is controversial, the mayor feels that the investment is in the best interests of the community. If and when the Princeton does close, the mayor hopes to possibly convert it into an arts center. Currently a quad, the theater opened as a single screener in 1948.

    Stilwell said if the theater isn’t successful in Princeton, the city won’t get any money back, but won’t be obligated to make future payments.

    Councilman Jim Coomer asked about the prices of admission. It was estimated that they would be similar to Evansville for first run movies.

    Hurst said he previously contacted Kerasotes Theaters, former owner of the existing Princeton Theater, about the need for improvements, but got no where. The downtown theater building is now owned by AMC, which Hurst said has been closing theaters in small communities like Princeton.

    There is more in the Princeton Daily Clarion.

  • September 24, 2010

    Smithsonian receives $5 million grant from Warner Brothers

    WASHINGTON, DC – A five million dollar grant from Warner Brothers will enable the Smithsonian Institution to convert its nearly fifty-year-old Carmichael Auditorium into a theater which will present the history of American film. It will be equipped for both 35mm and digital projection.

    The full story is in the Washington Post.