Bay Theater Reopens Friday Under Netflix Ownership

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — Netflix used to be synonymous with watching TV at home. But now, in Pacific Palisades, it will mean going out to the movies.

The streaming giant has taken over the lease of the Bay Theater, which has been closed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The five-screen theater will reopen Friday with a screening of Netflix’s new Western “The Harder They Fall.” The theater will also offer screenings of Netflix animated films “Vivo” and “The Mitchells vs. The Machines.”

Netflix will use the theater, which was previously operated by Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas to showcase its own films, screen classic films, and host special events, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Bay Theater originally opened in 1948, but closed in 1978. Cinépolis opened the new cinema in 2018 as a dine-in theater with a full bar and specialized kitchen, a roughly $10 million project.
“The Bay is one of those rare places that’s modern but also feels like a throwback experience of your local main street cinema,” Netflix Film Chief Scott Stuber said in a statement.

Netflix is venturing further into the movie theater business, largely by buying up antique movie theaters. It operates the Paris Theatre in New York, and bought the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, which is set to reopen in 2022, according to The Times.