In an industry increasingly dominated by streaming algorithms and corporate consolidation, Kristen Stewart just did something radically analog: she bought a 100-year-old movie theater to save it from permanent closure.
The Highland Theatre in Highland Park was on the verge of shutting down—another casualty of the economics crushing independent cinemas nationwide. Architectural Digest reports that Stewart stepped in to purchase the historic venue, with plans to restore it as a community cultural hub.
"I ran toward it with everything I had," Stewart told The Hollywood Reporter, displaying the kind of impulsive passion that makes actors terrible with money and occasionally great for culture.
Let's be clear: This is almost certainly a terrible investment. Independent theaters are struggling everywhere. The pandemic accelerated a decline that was already underway, as audiences shifted to streaming and major chains consolidated. Historic theaters—with their aging infrastructure and limited seating—face especially brutal economics.
But sometimes terrible investments are worth making.
The Highland Theatre opened in 1925, during the silent era, when neighborhood theaters were community gathering spaces rather than corporate multiplexes. It's survived the Depression, television, VHS, DVDs, and the first streaming wave. It represents a physical connection to cinema history that's rapidly disappearing.
Stewart—who went from Twilight franchise star to acclaimed indie actor—understands the value of spaces that prioritize film as art rather than content. She's worked with Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt, and other auteurs who rely on independent theaters to find their audiences.
Her plan reportedly includes keeping the theater operational for repertory screenings, local film festivals, and community events. It's the kind of cultural preservation that rarely makes financial sense but enriches the landscape enormously.
