When the pandemic forced the closure of a number of iconic LA theaters, few predicted they would ever reopen their doors. Let alone a handful of years after the pandemic itself. With several celebrated venues now actively open or reopening soon, it’s a completely different climate to what we were predicting a scant few years ago. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment attorney Los Angeles, Brandon Blake, has more.
An Optimistic Vibe
In just the last few months, we’ve seen the Landmark Sunset, Culver Theater, and Cinépolis Inglewood Imax return to service. The Egyptian and Vista are set to follow, and there’s even murmurings that the ArcLight Hollywood could join them soon. Most of these locations have been reworked and renovated in the process, and some are trialing new ways to attract customers.
It’s fantastic to see the arthouse and independent theater scene rebound so optimistically, especially bare years after doom-and-gloom was the only outlook. In many cases, these locations are being revamped and reinvented into community-focused spaces offering additional sweeteners to their movie roster. From curated menus to lounges and sports bars, there seems to be less reticence to try new ways of appealing to the modern audience- and compete with easy at-home video offerings.
A New Direction
Of course, these are far from the only independent locations which COVID forced to close. And some of those locations are destined to never return to service. Winnetka Pacific Theatres, for example, is earmarked for demolition and the land has been sold on to Tesla for a service center. The Fox Village Theater still has a major question mark hanging over its future. But the fact we’ve seen any upward growth in a market some confidently proclaimed dead and irrelevant is achievement enough in itself. And a key sign that, contrary to those dull predictions, the indie and arthouse industry is coming back swinging. At this point, we can confidently say that the idea that people don’t want to go to the movies and the couch will win is dead in the water. Let’s hope to see this renaissance continue in force.
Film and Television 