Laemmle Theatres to vacate Sunset 5; Sundance to take over lease
It’s the end of an era for a West Hollywood movie house that has been a mainstay of the independent cinema scene for the last 20 years.
Laemmle Theatres will stop operating the Sunset 5 at the end of the month after being unable to come to terms with the landlord on a new lease.
Robert Redford’s Sundance Cinemas will take over the five-screen complex Dec. 1 and will temporarily close it for renovations, with plans to reopen in late spring. This marks the entry of Westlake Village-based exhibitor into the Los Angeles area. Sundance Cinemas operates theaters in Madison, Wis., San Francisco and Houston.
Although the Sunset 5 will remain operational, the loss of Laemmle as its programmer marks a significant shift for the independent film business in the Los Angeles area. Filmmakers such as Catherine Hardwicke (“Thirteen”), Bryan Singer (“The Usual Suspects”) and Bill Condon (“Gods and Monsters”) had their films premiere at the movie house on Sunset Boulevard near Crescent Heights.