Westwood’s historic Village Theater has been acquired by Village Directors Circle, which will partner with American Cinematheque to program and operate the venue. The partnership was announced Tuesday by Cinematheque Chairman Rick Nishita and Jason Reitman.
The theater in Los Angeles’ Westwood Village will continue to host major premieres, first-run films and retrospectives with a goal of opening in 2027.
A group of filmmakers led by Reitman will take over the theater in early 2024, now known as Village Directors Circle. More than 30 directors are involved, including Steven Spielberg, Denis Villeneuve, Lulu Wang, J.J. Abrams, Ryan Coogler, James Gunn, Chloé Zhao, Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Nolan, and Gina Prince-Bythewood.
The Director’s Circle has been working to raise funds to restore and transform the 100-year-old movie theater into a multi-purpose screening and event facility. American Cinematheque will be the programming, management and operating partner for the more than 1,000-seat venue, with the filmmakers on board.
“Last year, some of the greatest living directors came together to protect Westwood’s Village Theater, a monument to Los Angeles,” Reitman said in a statement. “We often like to think of movie theaters as churches. If so, the Village is a cathedral, and with the American Cinematheque we have found our congregation.”
In addition to its program of new theatrical releases, the theater will host special screenings with in-person conversations, awards season events, retrospectives and tributes, as well as programming from cinematheques such as Beyond Fest, Bleak Week, This Is Not a Fiction and Ultra Cinematheque 70.
The theater’s lobby will feature artifacts from the Director’s Circle members’ collections and include concessions, retail kiosks, and event space for premiere screenings.
“Partnering with the talented Village Directors Circle to renovate the Village Theater is an exciting milestone for American Cinematheque. We are excited to bring our film programming expertise to Westwood and breathe new life into this iconic venue. Our goal is to create a vibrant cultural hub that not only celebrates film, but also enriches the community and welcomes audiences from across Los Angeles and around the world,” said Nishita.
Mr. Reitman added, “American Cinematheque shares the director’s vision of presenting new works, rediscovering classics and building a program hand-picked by filmmakers. The Village Theater has also been home to high-profile Hollywood premieres since 1930, and we are committed to continuing that tradition. We want to give our audiences a place to experience the films they love with the people they love.”
Reitman and the Cinematheque are in the “quiet stages” of a $25 million capital campaign to transform the space, Reitman said in a statement, “with construction expected to begin early next year, we are very excited about the initial leadership commitment from individuals and key technical sponsors.”
Other filmmakers participating in this effort include Judd Apatow, Damien Chazelle, Chris Columbus, Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuaron, Jonathan Deighton, Valerie Faris, Hannah Fidel, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Sian Heder. , Gil Kenan, Karyn Kusama, Justin Lin, Phil Lord, David Lowery, Christopher McQuarrie, Chris Miller, Alexander Payne, Todd Phillips, Jay Roach, Seth Rogen, Emma Seligman, Brad Silberling, Emma Thomas.
