Bruin Theater

Fox Bruin Theater
Fox Bruin Theater
Bruin Theater is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Bruin Theater
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
34°3′45.76″N 118°26′48.76″W / 34.0627111°N 118.4468778°W / 34.0627111; -118.4468778
Location926-950 Broxton Avenue, Westwood, Los Angeles, California
History
Built1937
Site notes
ArchitectS. Charles Lee
Architectural style
Streamline Moderne
Governing bodyPrivate
DesignatedJune 21, 1988
Reference no.361

The Bruin theater, also known as the Regency Bruin theater or Fox Bruin theater, is a 670-seat movie palace located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, near the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Description

The Bruin is located in the heart of the Mediterranean-themed Westwood Village shopping and cinema precinct, opposite the prominent white tower of the Fox Village theater. The structure was designed by movie theater architect, S. Charles Lee, with a Streamline Moderne marquee, and opened in 1937. It is named after the UCLA mascot Joe Bruin. The theater has been used for private events, such as film and television show premieres.

It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM #361) in 1988.

History

On December 31, 1937, the Fox Bruin Theater was opened by Fox West Coast Theaters with 876 seats. From 1973 until 2010, it was operated by the Mann theaters chain. From April 2010 until 2024, it was operated by Regency Theaters.

On July 25, 2024, the Bruin theater and the nearby Regency Village theater closed their doors when their leases expired.

Following the Bruin Theatre's closure in July 2024, filmmaker Jason Reitman pursued plans to restore and reopen the theater through Bruin Directors Circle, LLC. The group subsequently withdrew from the project claiming that the theater required significantly more extensive restoration work than initially anticipated. Reitman's group abandoned its plans to reopen the Bruin and the theater remained under its longtime ownership.

In July 2026, Canadian cinema operator Rui Pereira signed a lease to operate the Bruin Theatre and announced plans to reopen the venue in October. In August 2026, reports surfaced involving alleged racist and antisemitic statements made through social-media accounts associated with Pereira's Kingsway Theater. In a subsequent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pereira said that attention surrounding his previous online comments was a distraction from reopening the Bruin and maintained that the theater would welcome all patrons.

The music video for "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim was filmed in front of the theatre. It was animated in Grand Theft Auto V as well, as the Tivoli Cinema. It was prominently featured in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in which actress Sharon Tate (portrayed by Margot Robbie) is shown watching the film The Wrecking Crew. The Bruin appears in the beginning of 1963's The Caretakers as Polly Bergen walks down Broxton Avenue and purchases a ticket for the show.

Regency theaters

In 1996, Regency theaters was founded by Lyndon Golin and Andrew Golin, brothers, with a theater in Camarillo, California.

In 2010, Mann theaters went out of business, and Regency theaters purchased the Fox theater, Westwood Village and a multiplex cinema at "The Plant" in Van Nuys, California.

Regency theaters operates some former Fox theaters and Mann theaters.

References

  1. 1 2 Doyne, Shannon (February 10, 2020). "In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  2. ↑ Bryant, Jacob (February 12, 2016). "J.J. Abrams Wanted James Franco for '11.22.63' After Reading His Article on the Book". Variety. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Historic Landmarks Detail | Los Angeles City Planning". planning.lacity.org. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  4. ↑ Department of City Planning. "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments". City of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Bruin theater". Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Regency Bruin theater in Los Angeles, CA". cinematreasures.org - Cinema Treasures. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  7. ↑ James, Meg (July 21, 2024). "Beloved historic movie theaters Westwood Village and Bruin to close this week". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Welcome to Bruin - Westwood Village". regency movies .com. Regency theaters. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Historic Westwood Theaters Close Their Doors". Beverly Hills Courier. July 28, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024. July 25 marked the end of a movie-going era in Westwood, when the curtains fell on the village's two 1930s-era movie houses. The Regency Village theater (formerly the Fox Theater, Westwood Village) and the Fox Bruin Theater closed their doors at the end of the business night, when their leases expired.
  10. ↑ James, Meg (July 21, 2024). "Beloved historic movie theaters Westwood Village and Bruin to close this week". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Foreman, Alison (August 20, 2026). "Jason Reitman Was Ready to Spend Millions to Save the Historic Bruin Theatre. Can a Scrappy New Team Reopen It by October?". IndieWire. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  12. ↑ Foreman, Alison (August 20, 2026). "Jason Reitman Was Ready to Spend Millions to Save the Historic Bruin Theatre. Can a Scrappy New Team Reopen It by October?". IndieWire. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  13. ↑ Foreman, Alison (August 26, 2026). "New Bruin Theatre Team Splits as Lease Signer Faces Renewed Racism and Antisemitism Allegations". IndieWire. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  14. ↑ Baum, Gary (August 28, 2026). "New Operator of L.A.'s Bruin Theatre Says His Antisemitic Comments Are "Distractions From Reopening"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  15. ↑ Foreman, Alison (August 26, 2026). "New Bruin Theatre Team Splits as Lease Signer Faces Renewed Racism and Antisemitism Allegations". IndieWire. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  16. ↑ Baum, Gary (August 28, 2026). "New Operator of L.A.'s Bruin Theatre Says His Antisemitic Comments Are "Distractions From Reopening"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ "The 20 Best Music Videos Ever Shot in Los Angeles - LA Weekly". LA Weekly. October 18, 2016. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  18. ↑ Babcock, Jay (February 18, 2011). ""The Golden Notebooks" by Paul Cullum (Arthur, 2004)". Arthur Magazine. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Regency brings in-theater dining to San Juan Capistrano". Los Angeles Times. May 7, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ "New generation of film lovers reviving Capitol 6 theater downtown". Times Colonist. June 8, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Regency theaters". Screenvision Media. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Regency theaters Company Profile". Datanyze. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ "THX Launches World's First THX Ultimate Cinema™ at Regency Westwood Village theater". THX. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Welcome to Village - Westwood Village". regency movies .com. Regency theaters. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  25. ↑ Linthicum, Kate (April 1, 2010). "2 historic Westwood theaters saved from possible closure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Agoura theater now taking direction from Regency". The Acorn (newspapers). December 25, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2023. Serving Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Oak Park & Westlake Village