Los Angeles

'It's Heartbreaking': ArcLight Cinemas, Pacific Theatres Closing Permanently Due To Pandemic Losses

April 12, 2021 / 10:30 PM PDT / KCAL News

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres will not reopen due to losses suffered during the pandemic. The news comes just one week after Los Angeles County allowed movie theaters to increase capacity.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 19: A general view of Arclight CinemaÄôs Cinerama Dome movie theater after Los Angeles ordered the closure of all non-essential services and entertainment venues earlier this week and hours before the 'Safer at Home' emergency order was issued by L.A. authorities amid the ongoing threat of the coronavirus outbreak on March 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The World Health Organization declared coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on March 11th. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

"This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward," a statement posted to the Pacific Theatres website said.

Pacific Theatres operates some 300 screens in California, including the beloved ArcLight theaters, the historic Cinerama Dome in Hollywood and multiplexes at The Grove and The Americana shopping malls.

"It's heartbreaking," Anthony Duran, an ArcLight fan, said. "This was like a home away from home for me for the past 20 years, and I just found out and it's really sad."

And Duran was not alone in making the trek to the Cinerama Dome to say goodbye.

"We have a lot of good memories here," Maggie Muir, who drove down from Burbank with Drew Sykes, said. "And it's, hopefully, kind of the end of this pandemic, and we were sad to see it go."

The couple said they wanted to be there after the announcement was made the location would not be reopening.

"I've had a movie actually screened at ArcLight before, and I was just really bummed out," Sykes said.

The theaters were also a favorite of many entertainment industry professionals and celebrities, with many taking to social media to express their dismay over the news, including "Love & Basketball" filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood, "Parks and Recreation" actor Ben Schwartz and "Knives Out" director Rian Johnson.

This is so painful. The Arclight is my go-to. Clean, great sound, assigned stadium seating, great popcorn, usher movie introductions. A true movie-going experience. ???? https://t.co/EtkfA9sMCx
— Gina Prince-Bythewood (@GPBmadeit) April 13, 2021

The Arclight Hollywood was my most favorite theatre in the world to see movies. My home court of cinema in LA. I saw my first movie in LA there when I moved here in 2009 and the last movie before the pandemic there. Truly a bummer. https://t.co/sziPORAGcA
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) April 13, 2021

???? Well this sucks. Every single person who worked at the Arclight loved movies, and you felt it. Sending love to every usher, manager and projectionist who rocked that blue shirt and made it such a special place.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) April 13, 2021

One of the biggest losses was the historic Cinerama Dome, a concrete geodesic dome on Sunset Boulevard featured in movies like Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

It was commissioned in 1963 by Pacific Theatres founder William R. Forman as a state of the art way to see movies using three projectors for its custom curved screen and is only one of three in the world to have the capability.

The company thanked its employees, guests and members of the film industry for the years of support.

"It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you," the statement said.

The decision does not rule out a possible sale of the chains.

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