History of Regal Cinemas in Timeline

Regal Cinemas, officially Regal Entertainment Group, is the second-largest movie theater chain in the United States, boasting 5,720 screens across 420 theaters as of the end of 2024. Established in August 1989 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Regal is owned by the British company Cineworld. The company operates under three primary theater brands: Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres. Regal is a major player in the American movie exhibition industry.

1924: Establishment of United Artists Theatres

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

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

1949: Coronet Theatre Opens

In 1949, the Coronet theatre opened as part of San Francisco Theatres.

December 1986: Tele-Communications, Inc. Becomes Majority Owner of UA

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

December 1986: UA Theatres Relocates Main Office

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

April 22, 1988: UA Buys Sameric Chain

On April 22, 1988, United Artists Theatres acquired the Philadelphia-based Sameric chain, consisting of approximately 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.

June 8, 1991: Tele-Communications, Inc. Purchases Remainder of United Artists Theatres

On June 8, 1991, Tele-Communications, Inc. purchased the remaining portion of United Artists Theatres, acquiring full ownership.

February 19, 1992: TCI Sells UA Theatre Chain

On February 19, 1992, TCI sold the United Artists 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.

1998: Acquisition of Act III Theatres

In 1998, Regal Cinemas combined with Act III Theatres after both chains were acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

1998: Attempted Merger of Regal and United Artists

In 1998, Regal and United Artists attempted to merge, but UA eventually dropped out, and only the merger between Regal and Act III went through.

2000: Edwards Theatres Files for Bankruptcy

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

2001: Regal Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

In 2001, Regal Cinemas, facing financial difficulties, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

2002: Consolidation Under Regal Entertainment Group

In 2002, Philip Anschutz consolidated his investments in Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres under a new parent company, Regal Entertainment Group.

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. This pre-film preshow is now known as Regal FirstLook.

March 2003: Takeover of Hoyts Cinemas US Assets

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

April 2004: Acquisition of Signature Theatres

In April 2004, Regal Entertainment Group 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 Theatres' National Cinema Network

In 2005, Regal CineMedia merged with AMC Theatres' National Cinema Network (NCN) to form National CineMedia. In effect, this was a takeover of NCN by Regal CineMedia, as Kurt Hall stayed on as CEO and AMC adopted Regal's preshow.

2005: End of Regal Roller Coaster Policy Trailer

In 2005, the original run of the Regal Roller Coaster policy trailer, which had been shown before every movie since the early 1990s, came to an end.

2007: Opening of First All-Digital Projection Theater

In 2007, Regal opened its first all-digital projection theater in Henderson, Nevada, named the Fiesta Henderson Stadium 12.

May 1, 2008: Regal Completes Acquisition of Consolidated Theatres

On May 1, 2008, Regal Entertainment Group completed its acquisition of Consolidated Theatres, acquiring 28 theaters and 400 screens for $210 million.

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 capable of screening both digital 2D and RealD 3D films.

2010: Revival of Regal Roller Coaster Policy Trailer

In 2010, the Regal Roller Coaster policy trailer was revived after its original run ended in 2005.

June 2011: Downsizing Theater Workforce

In June 2011, 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 that operated from Portland, Oregon.

April 1, 2013: Sale of Hollywood Theaters Closed

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: Regal Takes Over Managing Operations of Cinebarre

In December 2015, Regal took over managing operations of Cinebarre, featuring a full bar and restaurant menu where patrons can order food delivered to their seats.

2015: New Version of Regal Roller Coaster Policy Trailer

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

January 2016: 87 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, alleging collusion with major film studios to boycott smaller cinema chains.

May 2017: Purchase of Warren Theaters

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

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, Cineworld announced its plans to acquire Regal for $3.6 billion, positioning itself as the second-largest global theater exhibitor.

2017: Regal Purchases Warren Theatres

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

October 2018: Adoption of New Logo

In October 2018, Regal adopted a new logo and corporate color scheme, featuring an emblem resembling a camera aperture and a crown, along with orange as a corporate color.

2018: 4DX Screen Expansion Plans

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

July 2019: Announcement of Regal Unlimited Subscription Service

In July 2019, Regal announced a new movie ticket subscription service known as Regal Unlimited, offering unlimited movies and a 10% discount on concessions.

January 7, 2020: PepsiCo Becomes Exclusive Supplier

On January 7, 2020, Regal announced that PepsiCo would replace The Coca-Cola Company as the exclusive supplier of non-alcoholic beverages to all Regal cinemas.

March 16, 2020: Closure of All Theaters 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, becoming the first theater chain in the United States to close all its theater locations as a result of the pandemic.

August 21, 2020: Reopening of Theaters

Regal Cinemas started reopening most of its theaters on August 21, 2020, after the closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 5, 2020: Cineworld to close Regal, Cineworld, and Picturehouse Cinemas

On October 5, 2020, Cineworld announced it would close most Regal, all Cineworld, and Picturehouse Cinemas locations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland indefinitely, beginning October 8. The main factor cited was the continued reluctance of New York to allow theaters to open, as well as the lack of tentpole Hollywood films due to the high cost of operating a theater without new releases.

March 23, 2021: Cineworld announces Regal locations reopening

On March 23, 2021, Cineworld announced that in light of theaters in New York City and Los Angeles being given the go-ahead to reopen earlier in the month, they would begin reopening select Regal locations on April 2, in time for the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, with the company aiming to have most Regal locations reopened by April 16, in time for the release of Mortal Kombat, which was pushed back a week to April 23.

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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, with plans for a $10 million remodel that would include premium large format, 4DX, IMAX, and ScreenX screens.

August 2022: Cineworld considering 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. Cineworld confirmed that Regal Cinemas would remain in operation while Cineworld would evaluate their financial strategies.

September 7, 2022: Cineworld Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

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

September 28, 2022: Cineplex explores merging with Regal

On September 28, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Canadian exhibitor Cineplex was exploring the possibility of merging with Regal; Cineworld had attempted to acquire Cineplex in 2020, but was forced to pay US$1 billion in damages for breach of contract after backing out of the deal.

April 2023: Regal acquires lease to former ArcLight theater

In April 2023, it was announced that Regal had acquired the lease to the former ArcLight theater at The Paseo in Pasadena, California. The location reopened as part of the Regal chain in June of that year.