Regal Sherwood goes dark after his September 14 screenings

One of the world’s largest movie theater chains shuts down the lights at a branch in Oregon after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week.

Regal Sherwood posted a simple but straightforward announcement on its website that the venue would go dark after tonight’s performances. In addition, the online calendar, which would normally allow you to preview and purchase tickets for future dates, is inactive.

“Regal Sherwood will be closed effective Thursday, September 15,” read the warning, surrounded by a bright red box. “We hope you’ll check out our Regal Bridgeport Village location.”

The recommendable theater, which is a few years younger than that in Sherwood and nestled in the bustling Bridgeport Village shopping complex, is about 6 miles northeast in Tigard.

The closure of Regal Sherwood will come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to recent announcements from Cineworld Group, the owner of Regal Cinemas. Movie theater operators have been struggling to recover after a pandemic shutdown that kept their businesses closed for months. Some areas blocked access to cinemas several times throughout 2020 as COVID cases began to rise again, further hampering a recovery.

Cineworld, the world’s second largest cinema chain behind AMC Entertainment Holdings, appeared in bankruptcy court on September 7 just a month later The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was preparing to file for Chapter 11 protection. Executives then issued a statement on Aug. 17, indicating they were evaluating unspecified strategic options as box office receipts remained low this summer despite exclusive theatrical releases of big-name, big-budget titles Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World: Dominion.

Owners of cinemas big and small had hoped audiences would return for the 2022 blockbuster season after vaccines have become widespread and most people seemed tired of sticking to activities in their own homes. But ticket sales this summer continued to lag the 2019 totals by about 20 percent.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Cineworld is planning to end leases on 20 of its 505 venues in the US, and more closures may follow. What that means for other Oregon Regals remains unclear.

Regal Sherwood opened about 20 years ago at the corner of Southwest Tualatin-Sherwood Road and Highway 99W. The plaza is home to a handful of retailers and restaurants — though it’s not nearly as big as nearby Bridgeport. But it was and is Sherwood’s only cinema.

In fact, until the start of the screening, moviegoers looking for a multiplex experience usually battled 99W traffic and its punitive series of red-light roadblocks to get to the Regal Tigard, or the long-shuttered theater that formerly owned the property occupied wo A shiny new Land Rover dealership now stands near Washington Square.

If you’re reading this before 8pm on September 14th you still have time to check out one last film on Regal Sherwood if it’s a sentimental side that was an integral part of your youth. Employees III, top gun and fast train are among the last films to be shown at this location that evening.

Go ahead and get the extra large tub of popcorn. It’s the only fitting way to mark the end of a pretty solid theatrical run.