Will This Amarillo Theatre Ever Get a Revival?

2020 was a dark time for not only businesses in Amarillo but businesses across the entire nation. Both big and small name businesses that we once knew sadly took major hits under the economic pressure that the events of 2020 put on the entire world.

Sadly one of these businesses was Regal, a nationwide movie theater chain. And when Regal's location in Amarillo shut down for good, that meant that Amarillo's only IMAX movie theatre would shut down too.

I never realized the full extent of what this closure would mean for me until recently when I realized that if I wanted to watch Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer in IMAX, I would probably have to travel to Lubbock in order to watch it in its full atomic glory.

While I am fully aware that both Cinemark and Cinergy have premium viewing experiences, they just don't compare. After looking online and comparing and contrasting the screens and sound quality of Cinergy and Cinermark's alternative viewing experiences, I found that they simply don't compare to IMAX. It's just better.

After going through some Facebook posts by Amarillo residents reminiscing on the now-defunct Regal theater it turns out that towards the end of its reign, the pandemic was not the only problem that this theatre faced.

Many comments pointed out that before its closure, Regal really didn't do much to keep up with its competition in the Amarillo area when it came to things like seating and other amenities that a movie theatre would offer.

Scrolling around, however, brought some interesting rumors to my attention though. Many Amarillo Facebook users have thrown around rumors that claim that the building has been bought and there are plans to transform it into a theatre once again. Sadly after digging around, trying to find any sort of confirmation for these rumors, I could not find any credible sources.

When you think about it though, it is a big surprise that this location has not yet been refurbished for any other purpose. Its location and size make it perfect for a multitude of businesses, most especially a movie theatre. The cost may be a hurdle for any developer to get over, but once it's done and restored chances are that could become the hotspot that it once was.