Fans of Laemmle Theatres had reason to breathe a little easier Friday after the company reacquired its NoHo 7 cinema, returning the venue to family ownership.
The theater had remained in operation under Laemmle management even after it was sold during the COVID-19 pandemic, when widespread shutdowns forced difficult financial decisions across the exhibition industry.
“As much as I hated to let (the NoHo 7) go, at the time it felt like the only way to keep the business afloat. Thankfully, it was a risk that seems to have paid off,” Greg Laemmle, owner and president of Laemmle Theatres, said in a website post.
Laemmle officials said the company began exploring opportunities to reinvest in a new property late last year following the sale of its Claremont location, and resumed discussions with the NoHo 7’s ownership around the same time. They said negotiations gained momentum and resulted in an agreement by early March to bring the theater back under company ownership.
“This reacquisition represents more than a real estate transaction,” Laemmle said. “It’s a reaffirmation of purpose. With ownership comes stability, and with stability comes the ability to plan ahead: to book films with confidence, to host festivals and special screenings, and to deepen our ties to the filmmaking community and audiences alike.”
The seven-screen theater, located near the North Hollywood Metro station, is considered one of the company’s more accessible venues and a key part of the NoHo Arts District.
Laemmle officials said there are no plans to redevelop the site, and the theater will continue to focus on independent, foreign and arthouse films.
The reacquisition also carries personal significance for the Laemmle family following the death of longtime leader Robert Laemmle in 2025. He helped build the company into one of the most prominent platforms for independent cinema in Los Angeles, officials said.
“We will be showing movies. That’s what Laemmles do,” Laemmle said.