Some Regal, Edwards theaters in Orange County abruptly closed for good

Some ticketholders encountered a plot twist in real life when they arrived at the Regal theater they planned to watch a movie at, only to find it permanently closed.

Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week, leading to the closure of two dozen movie theaters. Locations in Anaheim Hills, Irvine, and Calabasas are slated to close later this month, or have already closed.

It was an unwelcome surprise to moviegoers in Anaheim Hills who had already bought tickets.

"Was kinda bummed, because I was going to do some kind of self-care kind of night and take time for myself," Amanda Ng said. 

Ng said she was notified of a refund through Fandango, but thought it might be a scam.

"We can't go to another theater, because its like a one night only thing," Rudger Cole said. "But it kind of sucks, because we kind of planned our day around this."

Employees who remain at the shuttered theater say their jobs are now to clean the building out.