It had seemed like the end of an era on Sunday afternoon, as the credits to The Park Theatre’s final film rolled and the establishment’s only screen faded to black, but, in true cinematic style, the show wasn’t yet over. It’s been a case of superheroes to the rescue for the team behind independent Vancouver theatre The Rio, who have teamed up with a sprawling list of industry bigwigs to take over the formerly Cineplex-owned, Cambie Street cinema. Among the long list of notable names swooping in to save the day is Vancouver-based producer, and co-owner of Phobos, Chris Ferguson, filmmakers Osgood Perkins (Longlegs, The Monkey) and Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck), Academy Award winners Sean Baker and Samantha Quan (Anora) and director, musician and Stranger Things’ actor Finn Wolfhard. The Rio’s owner Corinne Lea says she “jumped at the chance” to take on the historic theatre but, with all the costs that come with getting a refurbishment project of the ground, knew that she couldn’t go at it alone. “I reached out to Chris, and he has been a miracle worker with assembling this incredible dream team of investors,” she says, describing the star-studded group as “heroes” to those working at The Rio. “It’s just a really exciting team, these people are very passionate about keeping these theatres alive.” Lea, who has owned and operated The Rio for the past 17 years, will receive the keys for The Park on Nov. 1 and, should everything go as planned, she hopes it will be running again as soon as December. She promises that the refurbished theatre will stay true to its roots as a classic movie house, and will even house a replacement of the Park’s 70-millimetre projector after the loss of the first sparked outcry from the film-loving public. In a statement confirming the cinema’s closure last week, Cineplex announced it would be reinstalling its own projector into another of its Vancouver locations. “Everyone has let us know how important that is to them,” she says. A second screen, with a “state–of-the-art, brand new” 4K laser projector can also be expected. The building, constructed in 1940 by the same architects behind The Vogue, will be left untouched while the theatre within will be given a makeover before its reopening. “The bones are good,” says Lea. “We just need to breathe some life back into it.” The Rio, with its large performance space and ample backstage area, will remain as the spot for live entertainment. Yet those who love the theatre for its off-kilter ethos — The Rio is renowned for its eclectic lineup spanning burlesque, comedy, and drag live shows — can expect to see a few surprises on Cambie, courtesy of its investors. “We see the theatres as sisters,” says Lea. “The Rio is going to continue to be the punk rock, crazy kid theater where we do insane things and have a lot of fun, and the focus [at the Park] will be on that quality, cinematic experience … but remember, these guys are masters of horror, so you can expect a lot of fun coming from their direction for sure.”
