This week, the Dallas-Fort Worth area received disheartening news as multiple beloved movie theaters announced their closures, marking a significant shift in the local entertainment landscape. The Angelika Film Center in Plano and several Alamo Drafthouse locations across North Texas are shutting their doors, signaling the end of an era for cinephiles in the region.

Angelika Film Center Plano

After two decades of showcasing a rich array of independent, specialty, and global films, the Angelika Film Center in Plano has officially closed. The theater, known for its dedication to presenting unique and diverse cinematic experiences, cited insurmountable economic challenges as the reason for the closure.

"For the last 20 years, it has been a great honor to present area audiences with not only the best in independent and specialty film but also the best in global cinema," stated the management in their farewell message. The closure is a poignant moment for the community, which has long supported the theater's mission to offer an alternative to mainstream cinema.

While the Plano location has closed, the Angelika Film Center in Dallas will continue to operate at its Mockingbird Lane location.

Alamo Drafthouse North Texas Locations

Adding to the somber news, Alamo Drafthouse announced the closure of its North Texas theaters. The company responsible for these franchises, Two is One, One is None, LLC, is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, resulting in the shutdown of theaters in Richardson, Las Colinas, Lake Highlands, Dallas, and Denton, as well as a location in Woodbury, Minnesota.

The closures stem from a failure to recover from the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the recent Writers' and Actors' strikes that have disrupted the film industry. Despite the Alamo Drafthouse's efforts to offer a distinctive movie-going experience with themed screenings and in-theater dining, these factors proved too challenging to overcome.