The fate of the Grand Illusion Cinema in Seattle, Washington is uncertain after the building in which it resides has been sold to a developer.

The sale is mentioned on the theater's website, with the following message:

OUR BUILDING WAS SOLD

Our building was sold at the end of September 2023. We have a lease through early 2025 and are unsure what will happen after that. We doubt the building won't be demolished, but don't worry, we're determined to recreate the magic someplace new! Stay tuned!

For movie fans that love watching its array of classics, rarities, and independent cinema, they can take solace in the fact that the movie theater's lease goes through at least early 2025. This means that there is time for "Seattle's oldest continuously running movie theater" to find a new home.

NPR affiliate KUOW published an article recently about the news, and interviewed volunteer projectionist and filmmaker Mikiech Nichols, and talked to Kate Barr, the director of the nonprofit video library Scarecrow Video nearby. As the area continues to be developed, the fate of that store, and other local outlets for movie lovers, is also uncertain.

To get an idea of what the surrounding area has to offer, and what it offered in the past, take a look at all the nearby theaters (active and inactive). Some, like the Varsity Theatre on University Way Northeast, are still operating, while others, like the former Landmark Metro Cinemas, transformed into something more mainstream. Others, such as the Landmark Seven Gables Theatre and the Landmark Guild 45th Theatre, closed some time ago.

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The best way to show your support for theaters like the Grand Illusion is to go see movies there! This seems rather obvious, but we see it so often that small neighborhood theaters close, only to have many lament its closing while also saying that they hadn't gone to a movie there in years. These are businesses and organizations that depend on your patronage to continue.

To see what's playing and when, please visit the Showtimes page for the Grand Illusion Cinema.