John Noble

Are movie theaters dead, or is the big screen irreplaceable?

Cineworld, which owns Regal, filed for Chapter 11 in 2022 with billions in debt ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/cineworld-files-us-bankruptcy-2022-09-07/)). AMC survived by selling stock to retail traders during the meme-stock frenzy, then diluted those same shareholders with the APE conversion, which was less a business strategy than a magic trick. The US screen count has been shrinking since 2019, and every struggling location that closes takes millions in annual ticket revenue with it. Dead industries don't announce themselves with a funeral. They announce themselves with landlords converting the building into pickleball courts, which is exactly what's happening.

my city lost all three theaters. ones a church now and the other is a spirit halloween lol

Entertainment · Oct 6, 2026 · Are movie theaters dead, or is the big screen irreplaceable?