History of Regal Cinemas in Timeline

Regal Cinemas is a prominent American movie theater chain, the second-largest in the U.S. with over 5,720 screens across 420 locations as of December 31, 2024. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Regal is owned by the British company Cineworld. It operates under the Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres brands, offering a wide range of cinematic experiences to moviegoers nationwide.

1924: United Artists Theatres Established

In 1924, United Artists Theatres was established.

1930: Edwards Theatres Started

In 1930, Edwards Theatres was started by William James Edwards Jr.

1949: Acquisition of San Francisco Theatres

Around 1949, United Artists Theatres acquired San Francisco Theatres owned by Samuel H Levin.

1988: Acquisition of Sameric Chain and Relocation of Main Office

In 1988, United Artists Theatres (UA) acquired the Philadelphia-based Sameric chain. Also in 1988, UA's main office was relocated to Englewood, CO.

August 10, 1989: Regal Cinemas Founded

On August 10, 1989, Regal Cinemas was founded.

1989: Regal Cinemas Established

In 1989, Regal Cinemas was established in Knoxville, Tennessee, with Mike Campbell as CEO, marking the beginning of the company.

June 8, 1991: TCI Buys Remainder of UA

On June 8, 1991, John Malone's Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) purchased the remainder of United Artists (UA).

February 19, 1992: Sale of UA Theatres

On February 19, 1992, TCI sold the 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. died. At the time, Edwards Theatres operated about 90 locations with 560 screens.

1998: Acquisition of Act III Theatres

In 1998, Regal acquired Act III Theatres, marking its largest acquisition during its initial growth period.

1998: Attempted Merger of Regal and United Artists

In 1998, there was an attempted merger between Regal and United Artists.

2000: Edwards Theatres Files for Bankruptcy

In 2000, Edwards Theatres filed for bankruptcy due to a crushing debt load from expansion plans.

2001: Regal Files for Bankruptcy

In 2001, Regal faced financial difficulties and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

2002: Regal Entertainment Group Consolidated

In 2002, Philip Anschutz consolidated Regal, Edwards, and United Artists under Regal Entertainment Group.

2002: Formation of REG

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

February 2003: Debut of "The 2wenty"

In February 2003, Regal CineMedia debuted "The 2wenty" (now known as "Regal FirstLook"), a new pre-show with digital content replacing slides and film advertisements.

March 2003: Acquisition of Hoyts Cinemas US Assets

In March 2003, Regal took over the US assets of Hoyts Cinemas.

April 2004: Acquisition of Signature Theatres

In April 2004, Regal 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 of Regal CineMedia and AMC's National Cinema Network

In 2005, Regal CineMedia merged with AMC Theatres' National Cinema Network to form National CineMedia.

2005: Regal Roller Coaster Policy Trailer End

In 2005, Regal's "Regal Roller Coaster" policy trailer, shown before every movie since the early 1990s, was retired.

2007: First All-Digital Projection Theater

In 2007, REG opened its first all-digital projection theatre in Henderson, Nevada. Also, Regal sold Fandango to Comcast Corporation in 2007.

May 1, 2008: Acquisition of Consolidated Theatres Completed

On May 1, 2008, Regal Entertainment Group completed its acquisition of Consolidated Theatres.

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

On May 17, 2009, Regal signed a deal with Sony to equip all of its theaters with Sony 4K digital projection.

April 2010: Launch of Regal Premium Experience (RPX)

In April 2010, Regal launched Regal Premium Experience (RPX), an upgraded theater format.

2010: Regal Roller Coaster Policy Trailer Revived

In 2010, the chain's famous "Regal Roller Coaster" policy trailer was revived.

June 2011: Downsizing of Theater Workforce

In June 2011, Regal began downsizing its theater workforce.

February 2013: Agreement to Purchase Hollywood Theaters

In February 2013, Regal agreed to purchase Hollywood Theaters.

April 1, 2013: Sale of Hollywood Theaters Closed

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

March 2014: Agreement to Add 4DX to L.A. Live

In March 2014, AEG and Regal announced an agreement to add 4DX to its location at L.A. Live.

December 2015: Regal Takes Over Managing Operations of Cinebarre

In December 2015, Regal took over managing operations of Cinebarre.

2015: Regal Roller Coaster Updated

In 2015, the current version of the "Regal Roller Coaster" policy trailer was made.

January 2016: Operating 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.

May 2017: Purchase of Warren Theaters

In May 2017, Regal purchased Warren Theaters based in Wichita, Kansas.

November 2017: Regal Began 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, Cineworld announced its plan to acquire Regal for $3.6 billion.

2017: Regal Purchases Warren Theaters

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

October 2018: New Logo Adopted

In October 2018, Regal adopted a new logo and orange as a corporate color.

2018: Number of 4DX Screens

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

July 2019: Regal Unlimited Announced

In July 2019, Regal announced a new movie ticket subscription service known as Regal Unlimited.

January 7, 2020: PepsiCo Replaces Coca-Cola as Exclusive 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.

March 16, 2020: Temporary Closure of All Theaters Due to COVID-19

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

August 21, 2020: Reopening of Theaters

Regal Cinemas started reopening most of its theaters on August 21, 2020, with a few delayed until August 28.

October 5, 2020: Cineworld to close Regal Cinemas

On October 5, 2020, Cineworld announced it would close most Regal Cinemas locations in the US, UK, and Ireland indefinitely, beginning October 8, citing New York's reluctance to allow cinemas to open and the lack of new film releases.

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: Cineworld announces Regal Cinemas to Reopen

On March 23, 2021, Cineworld announced that Regal Cinemas would begin reopening select locations on April 2, in light of theaters in New York City and Los Angeles being given the go-ahead to reopen.

April 2021: Delay of "No Time to Die"

In April 2021, the James Bond film "No Time to Die" was delayed, which was described as the "last straw" that led to the closure of Regal Cinemas due to the lack of tentpole Hollywood films.

June 19, 2021: Regal Cinemas acquires Arclight Cinemas

On June 19, 2021, Regal Cinemas acquired the lease of the former Arclight Cinemas at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles, with plans for a remodel.

August 2022: Cineworld to file for bankruptcy

In August 2022, it was reported that Cineworld would file for bankruptcy after struggling to rebuild attendance and incurring significant debt, with Regal Cinemas remaining in operation during the evaluation.

September 7, 2022: Cineworld Files for Bankruptcy

On September 7, 2022, Cineworld filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

September 28, 2022: Cineplex exploring merger with Regal

On September 28, 2022, it was reported that Cineplex was exploring a potential merger with Regal Cinemas.

January 2023: Regal Cinemas at Sherman Oaks Galleria planned closing

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

April 2023: Regal Cinemas acquires ArcLight theater at The Paseo

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 emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy expected

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

May 2023: Regal Cinemas reaches new lease agreement

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

2023: Cineworld planned to emerge from Chapter 11

In 2023, Cineworld planned to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pursue a "real estate optimisation strategy", including potential theater closures or sales.