Kristen Stewart fears the death of classic Hollywood cinema.
As the actress-turned-director drove the streets of Los Angeles and saw beloved local theaters replaced by major retail chains, she decided to help save theater attendance in the city that started it all.
So he bought a historic movie theater in Los Angeles.
Stewart purchased and is restoring the Highland Theatre, a cultural landmark that once housed vaudeville acts.
“When people are desperate, they start doing desperate things,” Stewart said in an interview with Architectural Digest. “I think buying this theater feels a little desperate in the most beautiful way.”
The theater closed its doors almost two years ago, less than a week before its centenary. Owner Dan Akarakian told The Times in 2024 that the theater was unable to recover financially from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everything that already exists here is so beautiful. You just have to take care of it,” Stewart said. “I mean, the place is falling apart. We definitely need a lot of help, but it's worth it.”
The local film and television industries in Los Angeles were struggling long before the wildfires that ravaged the city early last year dealt another blow, halting production and threatening the homes of stars and crews alike.
Stewart, who first achieved international success with her role as Bella Swan in the “Twilight” saga, said moviegoing is becoming a lost art, as “people watch movies on their tablets and TVs and probably watch a couple of things at once.” She and her colleagues struggled to get the films off the ground.
Stewart hopes the theater can become “a space where families can go and where filmmakers can go and so we can be of service to others,” he said. “We can be in real communication with people and not isolate ourselves from each other.”
The three-story building has theater rooms and event space, ideal for hosting screenings and public community events, he said.
The theater was designed by architect Lewis Arthur Smith, known for other local theaters such as Vista in Los Feliz and El Portal in North Hollywood.
“It's an opportunity to create a space to meet, plan and dream together,” Stewart told AD. “This project is about creating a new school and restructuring our processes, finding a better way forward.”
Stewart's effort to save local theater comes on the heels of a coalition of filmmakers, led by “Juno” director Jason Reitman, purchasing the 93-year-old Village Theater in Westwood in 2024.
Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Quentin Tarantino purchased the Vista, also designed by Smith, in 2021. The theater reopened more than two years later.
Stewart, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, has been a longtime advocate for the Los Angeles community. She works closely with the Downtown Women's Center, which provides housing for homeless women.
The actress decried the lack of stories made by and for women in Hollywood during her keynote speech at the Academy's annual women's luncheon in November.
“I love this city,” he said. “I like the spaciousness. You can decide how you want to fill it.”
