WESTWOOD—After two years of being closed, the Bruin Theater will reopen fall 2026. Now operating under new independent management, the Bruin Theater will return to Westwood Village with revival films, first-runs, and host special events.
While the opening date has not been released, the Bruin Theater Instagram announced that the theater will have 670 seats, will feature a mix of films, and will be reinstalling 35mm and 70mm film equipment in combination with its current digital components.
For the past two years, the establishment has been considered “permanently closed” after its 14-year lease with Regency Theaters ended July 25, 2024, with director Lee Isaac Chung’s film “Twisters” being the last film featured.
The Bruin Theater has been part of Westwood’s history since its grand opening on December 31, 1937, with the opening night featuring director James Whale’s “The Great Garrick.”
The Bruin Theater became immortalized in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” as a set where Tarantino’s Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie, goes to the Bruin Theater to watch herself in her film, “The Wrecking Crew.”
Since its opening, the Cinematour website has linked the Bruin Theater to four differing operators, such as Fox West Coast Theaters, National General Theaters, Mann Theaters, and, most recently, Regency Theaters in 2010.
According to the establishment’s Instagram page, the theater will operate on a long-term lease with an independent management company new to Los Angeles and will undergo upgrades before its fall opening.
The Bruin Theater is located at 948 Broxton Ave. in Westwood, across the street from the Westwood Village Theater, which will also be marking its grand re-opening in 2027.
By Megan Hanson