Beloved Los Angeles Film Theater Chain Will not Reopen After Pandemic

ArcLight Cinemas, a popular chain of Los Angeles-based cinemas, including the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, will permanently close all locations, Pacific Theaters said on Monday after the pandemic decimated cinema business.

ArcLight’s locations in and around Hollywood have been home to many movie premieres and are popular spots for moviegoers looking for blockbusters and prestige titles. They are operated by Pacific Theaters, which also operate a handful of theaters under the Pacific name, and are owned by Decurion.

“After closing our doors more than a year ago, today we have to share the difficult and sad news that Pacific will not reopen its ArcLight cinemas and Pacific Theaters locations,” the company said in a statement.

“This was not the result anyone wanted,” he added, “but despite a tremendous amount of effort that has exhausted all potential options, the company has no viable path forward.”

Between the Pacific and ArcLight brands, the company owned 16 theaters and more than 300 screens.

The cinema business was particularly hard hit by the pandemic. But in the past few weeks, most of the country’s biggest theater chains, including AMC and Regal Cinemas, have reopened in anticipation of the list of Hollywood films to be reopened, many after repeated delays due to pandemic restrictions. There is even an air of optimism in the air as a result of the Warner Bros. film “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which has generated revenues of around $ 70 million since it opened over the Easter weekend.

Still, the industry’s trade organization, the National Association of Theater Owners, has long warned that the criminal closings would most likely affect smaller regional players like ArcLight and Pacific. In March, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain, which operates around 40 locations nationwide, announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but that most locations would remain operational during the restructuring.

This does not appear to be the case with Pacific Theaters, which two knowledgeable people said they laid off all their staff on Monday.

The response to the ArcLight Hollywood closure has been emotional, including a pour out on Twitter.

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