cinelog.org

After nearly a decade of sitting vacant and partially gutted, San Juan Capistrano’s Franciscan Plaza theatre has finally found a suitable operator. Last week, Regency Theatres formally signed on to reopen the theatre by Thanksgiving of 2009.

 

A former Edwards, the Franciscan Plaza was operated, as a five screen cinema, from late 1989, until 2000, when Edwards pulled out, shortly before the company’s 2001 bankruptcy filing. While the theatre had never managed to pull in adequate business, a new suitor took over, shortly after Edwards’ departure, promising to reopen the theatre as a luxury cinema and dining venue. Unfortunately, this venture never managed to gain any significant momentum, falling in to a series of broken promises, unfinished work, and lawsuits. Coupled with the theatre’s demise, the entire Franciscan Plaza complex had languished under unsteady finances and management, for the better part of a decade.

 

Now, with Regency stepping in, having secured a $450,000 loan and the full backing of the city, plans are underway to remodel the theatre as a three screen cinema, with an upstairs bar. Considering the company’s successful track record of refurbishing older theatres, not to mention that the city is currently lacking a local movie going destination, one has to remain optimistic about the Franciscan Plaza’s future as a cinema.