Swansea movie theater gets new owner
Wed, July 15, 2026 at 6:15 PM
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The vacant movie theater in Swansea. (WJAR)
(WJAR) —After six years of waiting, Swansea is about to have its movie theatre back
The old theatre near the mall closed during the pandemic but is opening its doors again under new ownership
“I think it’s good for Swansea, I think it’s good for everybody,” Swansea resident John Jordan said
Cate Hanewich reports on the new owner of the movie theater in Swansea. (WJAR)
“I think it’s a great idea. You know, we’ve been missing out on movies over here in this area,” Somerset resident Shawn Bernier said
Back in 2020, Regal closed the town’s only theater during the pandemic
The cinema sat vacant for years
“It was sad because you used to go out to the movies and get some ice cream after,” Jordan said
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When the town’s theatre closed six years ago, residents had to get on Interstate 195 and drive to Fall River or Dartmouth to watch a film
“I used to go there when I was a kid, the old place and all the memories and stuff like that I had,” Bernier said
Now, the space is coming back to life
“I am so happy,” Somerset resident Paxton Fordham said, “It’s a big deal because there’s not as much, there is not a lot around here.”
The vacant movie theater in Swansea. (WJAR)
Entertainment Luxury Cinemas bought the 12-screen theatre
Entertainment Luxury Cinemas owner Bill Hanney said he has big plans for the cinema
“Big screens… stadium, concessions, all this stuff,” he said
Hanney said the theatre’s opening date isn’t too far away
“We’re going to open it up probably in 2 or 3 weeks,” Hanney said. “That’s phase one.”
Some moviegoers already know what movies they want to see
“First movie in the new movie theater, Spiderman,” Fall River resident Abby Rhodes said
Hanney said he has a big surprise for the theatre but can’t tell NBC 10 just yet
