A Rhode Island Movie Theater is Closing Its Doors This Month

A Rhode Island Movie Theater is Closing Its Doors This Month

A movie theater in Rhode Island will close this month. 

On Tuesday, Island Cinemas on West Main Road in Middletown made the announcement. 

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Island Cinemas 10 will be closing our doors permanently Sunday January 21, 2024 at the end of the business day.  

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The building has been sold and the theater lease was not renewed. We have been a part of this community for 30 years, as Holiday Cinemas 7 and then Island Cinemas 10.  

We would like to thank everyone who patronized our business along the way, we couldn't have made it this long without all of you.  We truly loved our customers."

 

New World of Cinema

In February 2023, CNBC reported "Movie Theaters Aren’t Dying — They’re Evolving:"

The movies are still big. It’s the multiplexes that are getting smaller.

Since 2019, the number of total screens in the U.S. have decreased by around 3,000 to just under 40,000.

This consolidation was a direct result of the Covid pandemic, which shut down theaters for a time and triggered a surge in streaming subscriptions. A number of regional chains have shuttered for good, while others were left to reevaluate their financial footing. For many, that meant closing locations or selling off leases.

“Think about retail out there in general, it’s repositioning itself, you don’t have as many of the same branded stores in the marketplace,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “Consumers are a lot more selective, and I think that for the economics that are necessary, you’re not going to see these 30-plexes anymore.”