Kristen Stewart Just Bought A Historic Movie Theater—See You There
The actor and filmmaker has purchased Highland Park’s long shuttered Highland Theatre.
Kristen Stewart is the new owner of the historic Highland Theatre in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood. Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but it seems reasonable to say we would prefer to see all movies here now, nowhere else.
In the March issue of Architectural Digest, Stewart confirmed she purchased the nearly 100-year-old movie palace, which opened in 1925 and closed in 2024 after failing to fully rebound from pandemic-era losses. Located on North Figueroa Street, the theater had long been a neighborhood anchor and is one of the last remaining historic cinema buildings in the area.
“I didn’t realize I was looking for a theater until this place came to my attention. Then it was like a gunshot went off and the race was on. I ran toward it with everything I had,” Stewart said. “I’m fascinated by broken-down old theaters. I always want to see what mysteries they hold.”
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Designed by architect Lewis Arthur Smith, the Highland Theatre has remained visually prominent despite its closure. In recent years, it has continued to function as a filming location, appearing in Marvel Television’s Wonder Man and doubling for Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema during production on David Fincher’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth.
Stewart’s purchase comes as she has spoken openly about shifting much of her directing and acting work to Europe. “I’d like to make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people,” she recently told The Times of London. The acquisition of the Highland, however, suggests her connection to LA isn’t so easily uprooted.
“It’s an opportunity to make a space to gather and scheme and dream together…We want to make it a family affair, something for the community. It’s not just for pretentious Hollywood cinephiles,” she said. “I see it as an antidote to all the corporate bullshit, a place that takes movie culture away from just buying and selling. I think there’s a huge desire and craving for what this kind of space can offer.”
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Stewart said the renovation will focus on restoring the building’s historic features while allowing room for experimentation.
“There are so many beautiful details that need to be restored. I think there’s a way to bring the building back to life in a way that embraces its history but also brings something new to the neighborhood and something new to the whole L.A. film community. That’s the point — new ideas.”
No timeline for reopening has been announced, but Stewart has been clear that she’s in it for the long haul.
