The Regal Oaks Stadium 24 in Upper Providence Township is scheduled to be closed in February 2023 by its corporate parent as they have filed for bankruptcy. Regal Oaks is one of 39 theaters being closed by the company, called Cineworld. As of now, no specific date for the closing has been announced.
The main reason for the bankruptcy is because of lockdowns due to COVID-19. “The debtors are hopeful that these negotiations will lead to lease concessions and modifications that will obviate the need for rejection and enable additional theater sites to remain open,” the company said in the court filing.
Although it is beneficial for the company, many people in the area, including Perkiomen Valley students and teachers, are upset about the closing. Many memories were made during the theater’s lifetime, which started in 1999. “I love going because they sometimes show movies that other theaters don’t,” junior Bella Day said. “The closing of the theater feels like the closing of local culture.”
It isn’t just students who are affected by the closing of Regal Oaks, teachers feel the same. “It made me feel a little bit sad,” TV production teacher Mr. Moore said. “I spent a lot of money at that place growing up.”
Regal Oaks was a big deal when it first opened up in 1999, as one of the first multi-theater movie theaters in our area. “The whole environment of having 24 different movie theaters in one space was kind of exciting for a Friday night in the late 90’s,” Mr. Moore said.
Luckily, other theaters in our area are still staying open, such as the Movie Tavern in Providence Town Centre, and the AMC in Plymouth Meeting. There were talks of AMC buying the 39 theaters being closed by Cinemaworld, but those talks have ended. Source: deadline.com