By The historic Village Theater in Los Angeles’ Westwood suburb has new ownership as a group of 35 filmmakers, led by Jason Reitman, have purchased the cinema complex.
Their mission “is to preserve the architectural gem and create a cultural landmark dedicated to the beloved experience of movie going.”
First opened in 1931, the theater is known for its “soaring tower, neon marquee, and one of the largest screens in Los Angeles”.
The filmmakers who’re involved are (in alphabetical order by surname): JJ Abrams, Judd Apatow, Damien Chazelle, Chris Columbus, Ryan Coogler, Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonathan Dayton, Guillermo del Toro, Valerie Faris, Hannah Fidell, Alejandro González Iñárritu, James Gunn, Sian Heder, Rian Johnson, Gil Kenan, Karyn Kusama, Justin Lin, Phil Lord, David Lowery, Christopher McQuarrie, Chris Miller, Christopher Nolan, Alexander Payne, Todd Phillips, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jason Reitman, Jay Roach, Seth Rogen, Emma Seligman, Brad Silberling, Steven Spielberg, Emma Thomas, Denis Villeneuve, Lulu Wang and Chloé Zhao.
News of Reitman’s attempts to save the cinema came earlier this month, but the names of his collaborators on the project have only just been released.
The theater will remain open while plans for a restaurant, bar, and gallery are drawn up. Westwood will also get a boost in foot traffic when the west side purple Line extension is operating in the area in 2027.
The directors will showcase artifacts from their personal collections at the cinema, including props, wardrobe, and film prints. Filmmaker Christopher Columbus will also reportedly share his extensive collection of 16mm film prints.
They join fellow filmmaker Quentin Tarantino who owns two cinemas in Los Angeles – the Vista and the New Beverly.
Source: The Los Angeles Times
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