British ColumbiaVancouver’s Corinne Lea, who is behind the city’s independent Rio Theatre on East Broadway, will lead a team of “passionate” filmmakers and film professionals to take over the Park Theatre from Cineplex.Team to take over the Park, led by Vancouver Rio Theatre’s Corinne LeaCBC News · Posted: Oct 27, 2025 4:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 27Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe Park Theatre is seen on Sunday, Oct. 26, its last day of operation under Cineplex ownership. (Nick Logan/CBC)Vancouver’s Corinne Lea, who is behind the city’s independent Rio Theatre on East Broadway, will lead a team of “passionate” filmmakers and film professionals to take over the Park Theatre from Cineplex.Cineplex had announced earlier this month that it would shutter the beloved theatre on Cambie Street.Known for its art deco façade, the Park Theatre opened in 1941. Cineplex took over its lease in 2013.Its final day was to be on Sunday with Cineplex telling CBC News it was deciding which other location to move the theatre’s 70mm projector to.LISTEN | A lament for the planned closure of Vancouver’s Park Theatre:On The Coast7:03Vancouver’s Park Theatre is closing downCambie Street’s longstanding Park Theatre is showing its final movie on October 26th. We speak with Nathan Caddell, the editor of the Georgia Straight and son of a long time film journalist, about another one of Vancouver’s film spaces closing.On Monday, Lea announced that her Rio theatre team would take over the Park, supported by private investment “from local and international film talent.”In a release, Lea said her group was excited by the opportunity to “revive” the Park in Vancouver’s Cambie Village.“We are grateful for the support of this impressive group of film industry professionals, and could not do this without them,” read the release. “After almost two decades of rocking the Rio, we look forward to this expansion, and bringing the same fun, energy and passion to a new location.” Long list of industry backersThe new Park Theatre team led by Lea includes investment from a long list of filmmakers and film professionals, including Chris Ferguson (Backrooms, The Young People), Osgood Perkins (Longlegs, The Monkey), Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck), Sean Baker (Anora, The Florida Project), Samantha Quan (Anora, Red Rocket) and Zach Lipovsky (Final Destination Bloodlines, Freaks), among others. “Film is so central to the essence of Vancouver. I’m thrilled, not only that we were able to save this historic theatre that I went to as a child, but that it was a group of some of our most significant filmmakers who came together to do it,” said Ferguson in the release.People attend a film at Vancouver’s Park Theatre on Sunday Oct. 25, 2025, which was to be its last day in operation. (Nick Logan/CBC)The Park Theatre was operated by Cineplex under a lease from the building’s owners, which are two companies: 886622 Ontario Ltd., Inc. and Acorn Heritage Holdings Inc.The property manager for the owners, Kat Eagleson of Eagleson Properties Ltd., sent a statement to CBC News from the owners that said they have owned the Park Theatre for 40 years and recognize its cultural significance to Vancouver.“We are proud to be custodians of that legacy and to see it continue to play a key role in the city,” read the statement.With files from Lauren Vanderdeen and Liam Britten
Local group of filmmakers saves Vancouvers Park Theatre from closure
