{
  "id": 533227,
  "title": "Kristen Stewart Makes a Case for the Cinema Experience After Buying a Historic Movie Theater: ‘You Want to Hang Out in the Dark’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/kristen-stewart-makes-a-case-for-the-cinema-experience-after-buying-a",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-11T05:00:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/culture-lifestyle/culture/kristen-stewart-explains-decision-to-buy-historic-movie-theater/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Actress Kristen Stewart has purchased a historic 100-year-old movie theater in Los Angeles, vowing to save the cinema experience amidst a perceived shift away from traditional theaters. Stewart, promoting her film \"The Wrong Girls,\" appeared on \"The Tonight Show\" and explained her decision to acquire the Highland Theatre in Los Angeles' Highland Park. She admitted her purchase was \"desperate\" and \"foolhardy,\" but emphasized her desire to prevent it from becoming an \"Urban Outfitters\" instead. Stewart criticized the changing landscape, stating, \"I think there was like, a moment where people were thinking movies were like, dead.\" She noted that people first made out in theaters and emphasized the importance of \"hanging out in the dark.\" The 1925 vaudeville-turned-movie house has survived decades, offering a glimpse into bygone eras. Stewart, who acquired the property six months ago, plans to revitalize the theater as a community-driven cinema space, encouraging gatherings and fostering creativity. She views filmmaking as a form of political expression and aims to create an inclusive environment for all, rejecting corporate influences in favor of a \"family affair.\" The Highland Theatre's revival adds to a growing trend of historic cinema preservation in 2026, with Sony Pictures also announcing plans to restore and reopen Hollywood's Cinerama Dome.",
  "summary": "“Honestly, it was kind of like a desperate move. Like, a slightly foolhardy thing,” the actress adds The post Kristen Stewart Makes a Case for the Cinema Experience After Buying a Historic Movie Theater: ‘You Want to Hang Out in the Dark’ appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [
    "Kristen Stewart bought historic 100-year-old Highland Theatre in Los Angeles.",
    "She aims to preserve cinema experience and prevent it from becoming an Urban Outfitters.",
    "Stewart plans to revitalize theater as community-driven cinema space."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Kristen Stewart's purchase of the historic Highland Theatre signals her commitment to preserving the traditional cinema experience and fostering community-driven artistic expression, bucking a trend of commercialization and exclusivity.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}