History of Regal Cinemas in Timeline

Regal Entertainment Group, founded August 10, 1989, is an American movie theater chain. As of December 31, 2024, it operates the second-largest theater circuit in the United States, encompassing 5,720 screens across 420 theaters. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Regal is owned by Cineworld, a British company. The group's primary theater brands include Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres.

1924: United Artists Theatres Established

United Artists Theatres was established in 1924, originating from the movie studio of the same name founded by Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith.

1930: Edwards Theatres Started

In 1930, Edwards Theatres was started by William James Edwards Jr. as a family-owned chain in California.

1949: Coronet Theatre Opened

In 1949, the Coronet theatre was opened as part of San Francisco Theatres owned by Samuel H Levin, which was later acquired by the Naify Brothers.

December 1986: TCI Became Majority Owner of UA

In December 1986, John C. Malone's Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) became the majority owner of United Artists (UA).

December 1986: UA Theatres Relocates Main Office

In December 1986, the United Artists (UA) Theatres main office relocated from San Francisco to Englewood, Colorado.

April 22, 1988: UA Acquired Sameric Chain

On April 22, 1988, United Artists Theatres (UA) bought the Philadelphia-based Sameric chain, which consisted of about 30 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

August 10, 1989: Regal Cinemas Founded

On August 10, 1989, Regal Cinemas was founded. It is owned by the British company Cineworld and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee.

1989: Regal Cinemas Established

In 1989, Regal Cinemas was established in Knoxville, Tennessee, with Mike Campbell as CEO. Its first location was the Searstown Cinema in Titusville, Florida. Regal began expanding rapidly, opening larger cinemas in suburban areas, featuring premium cafés and upscale designs.

June 8, 1991: TCI Purchases Remainder of UA

On June 8, 1991, Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) purchased the remainder of United Artists (UA) Theatres, becoming the full owner.

February 19, 1992: TCI Sells UA Theatre Chain

On February 19, 1992, Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) sold the United Artists (UA) theatre chain in a leveraged buyout led by Merrill Lynch Capital Partners Inc and UA management.

1997: Death of William James Edwards Jr.

In 1997, William James Edwards Jr., the founder of Edwards Theatres, passed away. At the time of his death, the chain operated about 90 locations with 560 screens. His son, W. James Edwards III, became president.

1998: Failed Merger Attempt

In 1998, Regal Cinemas and United Artists (UA) attempted to merge, but UA eventually dropped out of the deal. However, the merger between Regal and Act III went through.

1998: Acquisition of Act III Theatres

In 1998, Regal Cinemas combined with Act III Theatres, following the acquisition of both chains by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. This was Regal's largest acquisition during its initial growth period.

2000: Edwards Theatres Files for Bankruptcy

In 2000, Edwards Theatres filed for bankruptcy due to a crushing debt load resulting from an ambitious expansion plan.

2001: Regal Cinemas Files for Bankruptcy

In 2001, Regal Cinemas, over-extended, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It later became the namesake for the theater chain resulting from its merger with Edwards and United Artists theaters.

2002: Consolidation Under Regal Entertainment Group

In 2002, investor Philip Anschutz consolidated Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres under a new parent company, Regal Entertainment Group. Mike Campbell and Kurt Hall were named co-CEOs.

2002: Formation of REG

Since the 2002 formation of REG, it has acquired several smaller chains.

February 2003: Debut of "The 2wenty" Preshow

In February 2003, Regal CineMedia debuted "The 2wenty" preshow, a new digital distribution system replacing slides and film advertisements with digital content. NBC and Turner Broadcasting were among the first to provide content.

March 2003: Acquisition of Hoyts Cinemas US Assets

In March 2003, Regal Entertainment Group (REG) took over the US assets of Hoyts Cinemas.

April 2004: Acquisition of Signature Theatres

In April 2004, Regal Entertainment Group (REG) announced the acquisition of San Ramon, California–based Signature Theatres.

April 2005: Acquisition of Eastern Federal

In April 2005, Regal acquired Eastern Federal, a theatre company in the Southeastern United States.

2005: Merger with National Cinema Network

In 2005, Regal CineMedia merged with AMC Theatres' National Cinema Network (NCN) to form National CineMedia. This was effectively a takeover of NCN by Regal CineMedia.

2005: End of Original "Regal Roller Coaster" Policy Trailer

In 2005, the original "Regal Roller Coaster" policy trailer, animated by SmithGroup Communications, which had been shown before every movie since the early 1990s, was discontinued.

2007: Opened All-Digital Projection Theater

In 2007, Regal opened its first all-digital projection theater in Henderson, Nevada.

2007: Regal Sold Fandango

In 2007, Regal sold Fandango to Comcast Corporation.

May 1, 2008: Acquisition of Consolidated Theatres

On May 1, 2008, Regal Entertainment Group completed its acquisition of Consolidated Theatres for $210 million, adding 28 theaters and 400 screens. As a condition of approval, Regal had to divest itself of several theaters in overlapping markets.

May 17, 2009: Collaboration with Sony for 4K Digital Projection

On May 17, 2009, Regal collaborated with Sony Corporation to equip all of its theaters with Sony 4K digital projection over the next three to five years.

April 2010: Launch of Regal Premium Experience (RPX)

In April 2010, Regal launched Regal Premium Experience (RPX), a new upgraded theater format featuring digital 2D and RealD 3D films.

2010: "Regal Roller Coaster" Policy Trailer Revived

In 2010, the "Regal Roller Coaster" policy trailer was revived.

June 2011: Workforce Downsizing

In June 2011, after posting a loss for the first quarter, Regal began downsizing its theater workforce by removing managers from projection and replacing them with lower-paid floor staff.

February 2013: Agreement to Purchase Hollywood Theaters

In February 2013, Regal agreed to purchase Hollywood Theaters, a nationwide chain of 46 theaters based in Portland, Oregon.

April 1, 2013: Sale of Hollywood Theaters Closes

On April 1, 2013, the sale of Hollywood Theaters to Regal closed.

March 2014: Collaboration with AEG to Add 4DX

In March 2014, AEG and Regal collaborated on an agreement to add 4DX—a 4D film format—to its location at L.A. Live.

December 2015: Management of Cinebarre Taken Over

In December 2015, Regal took over managing operations of Cinebarre, a former joint venture between Regal Entertainment Group and Terrell Braly.

2015: New Version of "Regal Roller Coaster" Policy Trailer

In 2015, a new version of the "Regal Roller Coaster" policy trailer, animated by The Tombras Group, was created.

January 2016: RPX Locations

As of January 2016, there are 87 operating RPX locations.

January 2016: Temporary Injunction Issued

In January 2016, Regal was issued a temporary injunction by a district court in Texas following complaints by iPic Entertainment, which alleged that Regal had colluded with 20th Century Fox, Sony, and Universal by threatening boycotts of their releases if they did not refuse clearance of their films to smaller cinema chain locations.

May 2017: Purchase of Warren Theaters

In May 2017, Regal purchased Warren Theaters, a $200 million company based in Wichita, Kansas.

November 2017: Merger Talks with Cineworld

In November 2017, Regal began merger talks with the UK theater chain Cineworld.

December 5, 2017: Cineworld to Acquire Regal

On December 5, 2017, it was announced that Cineworld, a British theater chain, would acquire Regal Cinemas for $3.6 billion.

2017: Purchase of Warren Theatres

In 2017, Regal purchased Wichita, Kansas–based Warren Theatres.

October 2018: New Logo Adopted

In October 2018, Regal adopted a new logo featuring an emblem resembling a camera aperture and a crown. Orange was also adopted as a corporate color.

2018: 4DX Screens

As of 2018, it operated six 4DX screens nationwide, with plans to expand to at least 79.

July 2019: Announcement of Regal Unlimited

In July 2019, Regal announced a new movie ticket subscription service known as Regal Unlimited, allowing users to see an unlimited number of movies and receive a 10% discount on concessions.

January 7, 2020: PepsiCo Becomes Exclusive Beverage Supplier

On January 7, 2020, it was announced that PepsiCo would replace The Coca-Cola Company as the exclusive supplier of non-alcoholic beverages to all Regal cinemas, breaking Coke's monopoly among the top three theater chains in the United States. Pepsi also became the "exclusive sponsor" of Regal's 4DX screens.

March 16, 2020: Temporary Closure Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 16, 2020, Regal Cinemas closed all 543 of its theaters in the United States indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 21, 2020: Reopening of Most Theaters

Regal Cinemas started reopening most of its theaters on August 21, 2020, with some delayed until August 28 and others closed indefinitely due to local restrictions or prior plans.

October 5, 2020: Cineworld to Close Regal Cinemas

On October 5, 2020, Cineworld announced it would close most Regal, Cineworld, and Picturehouse Cinemas locations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland indefinitely, beginning October 8, citing New York's reluctance to allow theaters to open and the lack of tentpole Hollywood films due to the delay of the James Bond film.

2020: Cineworld Attempted to Acquire Cineplex

In 2020, Cineworld had attempted to acquire Cineplex but was forced to pay US$1 billion in damages for breach of contract after backing out of the deal.

March 23, 2021: Regal Cinemas Reopening Announced

On March 23, 2021, Cineworld announced that select Regal locations would begin reopening on April 2, timed with the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, following the go-ahead for theaters in New York City and Los Angeles to reopen.

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April 2021: Delay of 'No Time to Die' cited as a factor in closures

In April 2021, the delay of the James Bond film 'No Time to Die' was cited as the "last straw" contributing to Cineworld's decision to close Regal Cinemas due to the lack of new releases.

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June 19, 2021: Regal Cinemas Acquires Arclight Cinemas Lease

On June 19, 2021, Regal Cinemas acquired the lease of the former Arclight Cinemas at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles, planning a $10 million remodel with premium large format, 4DX, IMAX, and ScreenX screens.

August 2022: Cineworld to File for Bankruptcy

In August 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cineworld would file for bankruptcy after struggling to rebuild attendance and incurring debts of more than $4.8 billion amid the pandemic, while Regal Cinemas would remain in operation.

September 7, 2022: Cineworld Files for Bankruptcy

On September 7, 2022, Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

September 28, 2022: Cineplex Explores Merger with Regal

On September 28, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Canadian exhibitor Cineplex was exploring the possibility of merging with Regal.

January 2023: Sherman Oaks Galleria Location Closure Announced

In January 2023, it was announced that the Regal Cinemas location at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles would close on February 15 unless the lease was renegotiated.

April 2023: Regal Acquires Lease to Former ArcLight Theater in Pasadena

In April 2023, it was announced that Regal had acquired the lease to the former ArcLight theater at The Paseo in Pasadena, California.

May 2023: Cineworld's Emergence from Bankruptcy Expected in July

In May 2023, Cineworld said that its emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy was expected to happen in July of that year.

May 2023: New Lease Agreement Reached at Sherman Oaks Galleria

In May 2023, Regal announced that they had reached a new lease agreement with the galleria to continue operating the theater.

2023: Cineworld Planned to Emerge from Chapter 11

In 2023, Cineworld planned to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the first quarter, pursuing a "real estate optimisation strategy" that included theater closures or sales, and discussions with landlords about lease terms.