Kevin Smith buying historic NJ movie theater with big plans on the horizon
It's never a dull moment when Jersey guy Kevin Smith is around. And it looks like he's planning on doing something incredible with a local and historic movie theater in New Jersey.
According to nj.com, Smith is planning to purchase the Atlantic Moviehouse in Atlantic Highlands (formerly the Atlantic Cinemas). And he's not just looking to operate it as your everyday movie theater. He's planning to transform it into a film school.
Kevin Smith grew up in the area, and the Atlantic Moviehouse was one location he frequently visited. Needless to say, this purchase goes beyond your standard business deal.
Unfortunately, movie theatres, in general, have been hurting. Even before the pandemic hit in 2020, services such as Netflix and Hulu made it more convenient to catch a movie at home, eliminating the need to go to the theater where hitting pause for a bathroom or snack break wasn't possible.
As for the Atlantic Moviehouse itself, it did close down at the start of the pandemic, which upset many who resided in the area. Luckily, a local family decided to take ownership and the movie theater came back to life.
Since then, it's expanded beyond showing movies and also hosts children's parties. All that, while maintaining its historic century-old look.
Now the moviehouse will become an even bigger part of the movie scene. Aside from transforming it into a film school, Smith also plans on updating its interior, including the lobby. According to nj.com, some of those upgrades include a "mural that will wrap the lobby and feature characters from his New Jersey-set View Askewniverse films, which include “Clerks” (1994), “Mallrats” (1995), “Chasing Amy” (1997), “Dogma” (1999) and “Clerks II” (2006)."
Before catching up on the full story at NJ.com, keep scrolling to check out the interview Steve Trevelise had with Kevin Smith earlier this year below.