Regency’s iconic Westwood Village and Bruin theaters are set to close this week as their leases come to an end. The last day of operation for both theaters is scheduled for July 25th. Regency Theatres President Lyndon Golin expressed gratitude towards the Hollywood community and patrons who have supported these historic landmarks over the past 14 years.
The Westwood Fox Village, featuring a 170-foot Spanish Revival Art Deco tower, is expected to undergo a renovation. This comes after a filmmaker initiative, spearheaded by Jason Reitman, saved the 1931 cinema earlier this year. However, details about the timeline and logistics of the construction process have not been disclosed.
On the other hand, the fate of the Bruin Theater remains uncertain. As of now, there have been no efforts to save the cinema, which first opened its doors in 1937 and has a seating capacity of 670 compared to the Fox Village’s 1,400 seats. Both theaters are anticipated to cease operations on Thursday.
Both the Fox Village and the Bruin theaters have served as prominent venues for major Hollywood premieres, hosting blockbuster films such as Challengers, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and It: Chapter Two. The Fox Village, equipped with a 70MM projector, was a top-grossing location for Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza in 2021 following the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Village theater will conclude its run with Apple’s Fly Me to the Moon, currently showing, while the Bruin will wrap up with the weekend’s hit movie Twisters, which exceeded expectations earning $81.2 million nationwide. Regency Theatres has overseen the operations of both venues for the past 14 years.
The impending closure of Regency’s Westwood Village and Bruin theaters marks the end of an era for these historic cinemas. While the Fox Village is set to undergo a renovation, the future of the Bruin remains uncertain. As these beloved Los Angeles landmarks prepare to shut their doors, the Hollywood community reflects on the countless memories created within their walls and eagerly anticipates what the future holds for the cinematic legacy they leave behind.
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