July 17, 2023
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The former Regal Cinemas Oaks Stadium 24 will be reopened after it was purchased by Valley Forge Promotions, owner of the nearby Arnold's Fun Center and the American Treasure Tour Museum.
A former Regal Cinemas movie theater that closed earlier this year in Montgomery County has been acquired by a local company that plans to reopen it, offering movie screenings, arcade games and laser tag.
The theater, at 180 Mill Road, was purchased by Valley Forge Promotions, which also operates the American Treasure Tour Museum and Arnold's Fun Center in the Marketplace at Oaks complex, The Daily Local reported.
The Oaks Stadium 24 theater was among 39 Regal Cinemas locations that were shut down nationwide this year as part of the bankruptcy of parent company Cineworld. The Oaks theater originally opened in 1999. Its closure left Regal with just two theaters in Montgomery County — in Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia.
When the theater reopens, the owners plan to screen first-run movies and specialized genres. There also will be mini-bowling, a live theater and a corporate meeting space. It is expected to have an expanded food menu and beer, wine and cocktails.
Valley Forge Promotions plans to open the movie theater and arcade portion of the project in August, Chief Operating Officer Gerald Frey said.
Although the U.S. box office has rebounded since the low point of the pandemic, it still lags behind pre-COVID revenue, with ticket sales down about 21% from four years ago. The pandemic hit major movie theater chains like AMC, Cinemark and Cineworld particularly hard. about 500 chain movie theaters in the U.S. have closed since January 2020.
Valley Forge Promotions said its decision to revive the Oaks movie theater was driven by the strong performance of its other venues. Arnold's Fun Center is a 150,000-square-foot facility that includes go-karts, laser tag, bowling, mini-golf, an arcade and a ropes course. The American Treasure Tour features an eclectic antiques collection that visitors view aboard a tram car.
