Fenway Regal Cinema closing its doors to the Boston Community

By TERESA JIA

Contributing Writer

Regal Fenway, which opened to the public in 2000 and is located at 201 Brookline Ave., is scheduled to close according to a new court filing from parent company Cineworld.

Cineworld, the world’s secondlargest theater chain after AMC Theaters, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States and plans to reject the leases for 39 theaters nationwide on Feb. 15.

Mooky Greidinger, the company’s chief executive officer, said in the filing that there have been “enforced closure of cinemas and huge disruption to film schedules” during the pandemic.

“This latest process is part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our financial position and is in pursuit of a de-leveraging that will create a more resilient capital structure and effective business,” Greidinger said in the press release.

Edward Moreno, a resident who moved to the Brookline area in 2014, said having a mainstream movie theater in the area was “very convenient.”

“I think losing the movie theater is going to be a big blow for movie enthusiasts in the area,” Moreno said. “Going to the movies is a quick release from work and then all the constant pressures of adult life.”

Jiya Lakhani, a Northeastern University sophomore, said she also liked the proximity of the theater from her dorm and even had a Regal Unlimited subscription pass.

“I come here a lot now that I have the Unlimited, but even before it was my go-to,” Lakhani said.

The AMC Theaters in Assembly Row and Boston Common are popular alternatives for Boston residents to watch wide-release movies.

Qian Hu, a master’s graduate student from Northeastern University, has had more spare time to go to the theaters since she graduated. Hu went to Regal Fenway often.

“If it is closed, I will need to go to the Boston Common [AMC], and that will be a little bit far for me to watch,” said Hu.

Price is a concern for people like Lakhani, but for Moreno, the distance coupled with the weather poses an issue.

“It will affect people and what they can do in their spare time, especially when it’s winter,” Moreno said.

Oscar Brookins, an economics professor from Northeastern University, said what streaming services like Amazon Prime or Netflix offer could derail the market for in-place cinema viewing in the long-term.

“I think it’s fairly clear the nature of the economy and business and people’s willingness, interest in shopping and so forth, has definitely changed,” Brookins said.

The price for movie tickets has risen since 2001 and, along with concessions, Brookins said he believes that the cost “doesn’t help” the movie industry in competing with streaming services.

“Spending $12 to go out and be one of the few people who are sitting in the theater is not very attractive as an option,” said Brookins.

Along with the planned closure of Regal Fenway, Marshalls on 126 Brookline Ave. permanently closed on Jan. 14.

“The market is only big enough