Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas announced late Monday that the chain of movie theaters would be closing permanently after closing doors more than a year ago due to the pandemic.
“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 Pacific Theaters representative said in a written statement.
The chain has 300 screens in California, including a flagship location is on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and, locally, the ArcLight Cinemas - La Jolla at the Westfield UTC mall.
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Many took to social media to express their dismay over the news. Comedian and “Parks and Recreation” ctor Ben Schwartz posted that the news was “truly a bummer," adding that “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,” Schwartz continued.
One of the biggest loses for movie fans is the historic Cinerama Dome. The concrete geodesic dome on Sunset Bouelvard is an official historic monument and a tourist attraction in and of itself, featured in movies like Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and occasionally decorated for higher profile premieres. Positioned adjacent to the ArcLight 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.
Some on Twitter started tossing out suggestions for buyers. Tarantino famously bought the New Beverly theater in Los Angeles and some suggested that he purchase the chain.
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“Veep” actor Timothy Simmons tweeted, “Brad Pitt buy the arclight challenge.”
It wasn't clear if the chain might be sold.
