Update: An additional closed theater added in August of 2023.
I was surprised to discover that the relatively new AMC theater at Chesterfield Mall had closed back on May 18 of this year. Yes, the mall is going to be demolished for redevelopment, but the Cheesecake Factory is doing very well and will continue to operate. There’s no reason to close a profitable business for tenant and landlord in preparation for a demolition that is a year or two away. And besides, the new wing with the restaurant and theater is self-contained, and could be saved while the rest of the mall is demolished.
I think the real reason is that people are not going to the movies like they were in the past. Just like they aren’t going to the circus as much as they were in the past. And let’s just be honest here, Hollywood is not making good movies anymore. I didn’t even consider seeing the new Indiana Jones movie despite loving the first and third ones. Wonder why there’s a strike going on right now? Greed on the part of the executives is certainly part of it, but the industry is in trouble, too. I find it interesting that the old sport of pickleball is now taking over, just like downtown Maplewood, which was once savaged by the now-demolished Crestwood Mall, is now flourishing.
Meanwhile, in St. Charles County, a movie theater, Regal Cinema’s Great Escape, which had spent much of its existence in isolation just off Interstate 64/Highway 40, closed back in late 2022 due to its parent’s company declaring bankruptcy.
The incredible irony, of course, is that now, a quarter century after opening, there are large housing developments being built nearby, with potential customers galore. Such is suburbia.
