Have an Account?
| Register Now
Mason City, IA: After 18 Years, Southbridge Mall Movie Theater Coming Back

Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2025 3:53 PM

Opening Soon Sign

The movie theater in the Southbridge Mall in Mason City, Iowa will be reopening after many years.

According to ABC 6 News (see below), the city council announced that the movie theater would be reopening in Spring 2026. The theater closed in September 2008 as the CEC - Cinema 5, which means that there will be plenty of updates necessary to show movies again.

The city council approved a resolution to award a "contract for the outfitting of the theatre" and some photos were shown of the condition of the theater at this time. According to the presentation, the theater's name will be Southbridge Theater. and will be an independent theater showing second-run movies and be available for private events as well. The presentation during the meeting mentioned that the movie theater would host the Iowa Independent Film Festival.

Only one of the original five screens will be operational at first, with 123 new seats and five ADA-compliant spaces. The new screen will measure 27' wide by 14.5' tall.

A preliminary opening date of May 23, 2026 was mentioned, as it is 41 years to the day of the theater originally opening.

Our Take

Any time a movie theater is opened, that's reason to celebrate! However, the low budget of $300,000 and the amount of work that needs to be done is ambitious, but they seem to have their plans outlined pretty well. Also of concern is the idea that second-run movies will be shown in an era of most second-run movie theaters having gone out of business in the past five years or so. 

This appears to be a community-based venture, so if they are counting on volunteers to work at the theater and they don't need to do anything beyond breaking even, it could be a nice resource for the community that complements the first-run movie theater. 

Where to Watch Movies on the Big Screen

Until it opens, moviegoers in the area will need to visit one of the other nearby theaters, including the CEC Theatres - Cinema West Theatre on the west side of Mason City, the Lake Theatre in Clear Lake, and the Northwood Theatre in Northwood.

Related News Articles



Add Your Comments

Reader VoiceReader Comments

No comments found. Be the first and let us know what you think!

Add Your Comments

Please login
Commenting on Journal Articles is available only to our readers who have customized this site, which makes it easier for you to complete the form and for us to contact you with any questions or concerns about your comments.

Please login or register a new account before continuing.


Already Registered?

Log in to retrieve your saved settings.

E-Mail Address:
BigScreen Passcode:

Forget Your Passcode?

Send My Passcode To Me

Not Registered? Create a New Account!

E-Mail Address
In case we need to contact you. A valid E-Mail address is required, profiles with invalid addresses will be removed.
Please Confirm Your E-Mail Address
ZIP Code
This helps us display theaters that are near you.

Our registered members enjoy more features, including:

Basic accounts are free -- sign up today!

Concerned About Privacy?

So are we! We won't sell, trade, or share your personal information with anyone unless required by law. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy.



Home - About Us - Feedback
News Articles - Theaters - Movies - Reader Reviews - Movie Links
Your Account - VIP Service

The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a service of SVJ Designs LLC. All graphics, layout, and structure of this service (unless otherwise specified) are Copyright © 1995-2026, SVJ Designs. The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a trademark of SVJ Designs. All rights reserved.

'ACADEMY AWARDS®' and 'OSCAR®' are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Find Us on Instagram
Find Us on Facebook