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Edwards Island 7 Cinemas, located in Newport Beach’s Fashion Island shopping center, could be recieving a luxury upgrade soon.

 

This past week, I spoke with an individual who works for the Irvine Company (owners of Fashion Island) and he mentioned that they are currently in the planning stages for a significant remodel/upgrade to the center’s  theatre. In addition to adding stadium seating and digital projection, they are apparently looking to include food/alcohol and “further luxury services”. If everything goes as planned, work would commence in the next phase of the center’s remodeling program (Fashion Island is currently undergoing renovation). My source wasn’t aware if Edwards (REG) would continue as the operator or if the plan involved another chain taking over.

 

The Island 7 has always struggled with it’s hidden location (adjacent to the second floor food court, which is buried in the outdoor shopping center) and played second fiddle to the near bye, high profile, Edwards Big Newport. So, this might be exactly what the theatre needs to finally carve out a successful niche for itself. The affluent Newport Beach crowd would also serve as an ideal clientele for such a venue. The only down side to this proposed new cinema would be the potential for overshadowing Corona Del Mar’s Port Theatre; which is currently undergoing a luxury conversion of it’s own.