AMC Interchange 30
30 Interchange Way,
Vaughan,
ON
L4K 5C3
30 Interchange Way,
Vaughan,
ON
L4K 5C3
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 45 comments
Grand opening ad:
AMC downsized the 30-screen cinema to 13 screens by April 1, 2011 (April Fools Day). It’s kind of fitting, don’t you think. Anyway, I passed by the area in January 2022 and it was (finally) completely demolished.
Really good point theatre fan. It had an old-school, calm vibe that appealed more to seniors who didn’t like Colossus' flashiness. But even so, as movie theatre fans it’s depressing to see it go to waste. It’s about 75% demolished now and this is what will be my last video inside: https://www.youtube.com/embed/mz2TKJsa74o
After viewing the video above I can see why the Colossus won the war, this megaplex really has no charm whatsoever. It’s almost as if whomever designed this said to themselves “How can I make this 30-plex look as boring and as plain as possible” I don’t think another 30-plex will ever be built in Canada again, what a waste!
here’s that video:
An urban explorer has published a 40-minute video touring the site as demolition was beginning in October 2021. He has also posted several photos on Instagram — a fascinating look at this building which won't be standing for much longer.
ABANDONED - AMC Movie Theatre, This Location Was Huge!! (YouTube)
james.hackland (Instagram)
As of now, the theatre is currently being demolished. I heard that a TikTok involving the location became viral and caused people to vandalize the place. As such, Vaughan (I guess) decided that now was the perfect time to demolish it for the new condo project.
This theatre opened with The Mummy (5 screens), Entrapment (3 screens), Hideous Kinky, Il Postino, Cinema Paradiso, Johnny Stecchino, Nights of Cabiria, Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember, Austin Powers, Pulp Fiction, Seven, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Cookie’s Fortune, A Walk on the Moon, Saving Private Ryan, Waking Ned Devine, Rushmore, Elizabeth, True Crime, Cruel Intentions, 8mm, Baby Geniuses, EdTV, The Deep End of the Ocean, and Payback. Some films were relocated from Colossus to this one.
You are essentially correct that the colossus killed this theatre. After Ciniplex acquired the colossus the film studios favored Colossus and essentially AMC only got New universal films or move overs from Colossus. So when a Universal film was released they did extremely well for a few weeks then back to nothing. Certainly was not enough to maintain 30 screens and why they reduced down to 13 after just over a decade in business.
Agreed. The same thing happened in Suburban Quebec City with the StarCité losing out.
I have an idea: raise your hand if you think that Colossus on the other side caused AMC Interchange to close.
Grand opening ad
AMC Interchange 30 Fri, May 7, 1999 – 29 · National Post (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) · Newspapers.com
I recently took a little urban exploration trip to this theatre and only took so many photos. This was due to many alarms being triggered already, which made me anxious to go further as I fear that I’d get arrested. The main lobby with concessions remained as it was in 2011 when AMC split the theatre into 13 from 30. Also, the “30 Theatres” portion of the sign was removed as of 2019.
As a little irony, Cineplex has been treating their theatre across the highway like trash, as if they’re waiting to develop a new smaller theatre in a new Vaughan development.
AMC, what have you’ve done.
I worked at amc back in the early 2000s and it was a great time. I ran the projectors for half of the theatre since it was too big you needed two people upstairs. At least when you went on a slow day to watch a movie you had your own private theatre all to your self.
But yes it was too big and over priced for what they offered compared to colossus.
Google street view shows the AMC logo removed.
At night time, there is still lights on inside the building! I wonder why!! Sometimes I dream that they’re renovating to open a brand new theatre, but since Colossus is right across, it will probably be demolished :(
I doubt it’ll be redeveloped into an NHL-sized arena as rumours swirl about Toronto getting a “2nd” team.
I guess this site will have to be re-developed since it’s impossible to re-use a stadium seating theatre. Will probably be demolished and replaced with big box stores or restaurants.
CINEPLEX-ODEON are far better operators than AMC was in Canada — They are doing really well with the Yonge-Dundas 24!!
This was the largest theatre since the Roxy in NYC to close with 5,854 seats. The Roxy had 5,886.
AMC lowered the screen count at Covina from 30 to 17. One wing is closed off completely.
When regal took over a 20 plex in San Bernardino they lopped off 6 screens to make it 14.
When AmStar took over the Grand 24, 10 screens were removed. And there are others that lowered screen counts.
30-plexes have proven too large even for America. Most companies have agreed that anything over 20 is too much, and even then 20 is pushing it. So AMC’s 30-plex building wasn’t a failure only in Canada.
And in many places that AMC put down their 30-plexes, it drove other smaller theatres out of business so it’s not wholly unreasonable for them to think it might’ve done that in this instance. And who knows if it even cost them one cent to build the theatre there, my guess is that developers wanted theatres and may have built the entire thing for them… many chains give it a shot when the deal is sweet enough.
AMC was arrogant in building a 30 screen theatre directly opposite the Famous Players Colossus (14 screens). 30 screens was too big for the Canadian market. NOWHERE did Cineplex Odeon or Famous Players ever build a 30 screen complex — and now the resultant closing of the AMC interchange 30 is proof of what I said. The Canadian market is too small for a 3rd national chain to be successful.
I’m sure AMC selling off the Canadian theatres had more to do with the Wanda Corporation not wanting to deal with regulations of buying theatres in TWO separate countries. Didn’t they start selling them BEFORE Wanda bought AMC?
Also — how are theatres in Canada built differently than in America? What would make AMC arrogant about building the same theatre there as in the states? Cineplex Odeon did it for years…
In choosing this location AMC decided to go head to head with Famous Players Canadian Corporation against the Colossus and it serves them right.