Stonington Movie Theater Closes; Parent Company In Bankruptcy

STONINGTON, CT — The Regal Cinemas in Pawcatuck has closed, according to The New London Day. The movie theater stopped selling tickets Sept. 18 and closed its doors last week.

Lisa Konicki, president of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce, told The New London Day that has "somebody has made an offer to Regal to pick up and run with it.”

She was not able to provide specifics, but noted that moviegoers have do still have two local alternatives in Olde Mistick Village and Westerly, RI.

Regal is an American-based theater chain with hundreds of facilities in the country, which also recently closed its Brass Mill Center theater in Waterbury.

The only remaining Connecticut site listed on Regal's website is in Waterford.

Regal is a subsidiary of Cineworld, a United Kingdom-based theater group that owns facilities throughout the UK and Europe, as well as in Israel.

Cineworld filed for bankruptcy Sept. 7, according to Deadline. The company has $4 million cash on hand but $5 billion in debt.

The company's CEO, Mooky Greidinger, said in a statement: "The pandemic was an incredibly difficult time for our business, with the enforced closure of cinemas and huge disruption to film schedules that has led us to this point."

The news of the Stonington theater closing comes shortly after Niantic Cinema announced it would temporarily close until December. The owners blamed a recent lack of quality movies for the closure.

See related: Niantic Cinema To Temporarily Close; Wait For Better Movies

Large Waterbury Movie Theater Shuts Down: Report