New York cinema the Paris Theatre saved by Netflix

The company has saved the theatre from an uncertain future, following its closure earlier this year.

“After 71 years, the Paris Theatre has an enduring legacy, and remains the destination for a one-of-a kind movie-going experience. We are incredibly proud to preserve this historic New York institution so it can continue to be a cinematic home for film lovers.” – Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer

New York’s iconic Paris Theatre is back in business following intervention by streaming service Netflix. The Paris, one of the oldest art houses in the United States, and the last single-screen theatre in New York, was shuttered earlier this year with the future of the building uncertain.

Netflix saw the establishment re-open earlier this month to a successful run of Marriage Story, by acclaimed New York filmmaker Noah Baumbach.  Today Netflix confirmed it had now stuck a long-term lease agreement to keep the cinema open and save the beloved institution. The company plans to use the venue for special events, screenings, and theatrical releases of its films. Terms of the lease were not disclosed.

The Paris Theatre has charmed film aficionados since it first opened in 1948, when actress Marlene Dietrich cut the ribbon to commemorate the occasion. The theatre, opened by Pathé Cinema, originally showed French titles, the first of which was La Symphonie Pastorale, which ran for eight months.

The Paris became a symbol of prestige cinema, known for showcasing specialized films, and can be credited with introducing renowned foreign language films to an American audience including Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, which ran for almost an entire year from 1968-1969;  Claude Lelouch’s A Man And A Woman;  and Marcello Mastroianni’s comedy Divorce Italian Style, which played for over a year. The theatre closed in August 2019 after a successful run of Ron Howard’s Pavarotti.

Those stateside can currently buy tickets for Marriage Story at the Paris Theatre box office or at www.marriagestorymovie.com.

Not all cinemas have been so lucky, the best surviving example of an art-deco style Paramount Theatre in Europe, the former Newcastle Odeon in Tyne and Wear, was demolished in 2017 despite many years of campaigning to restore the venue to its former glory after its closure in 2001. Europe’s loss is however not just a memory stateside with the interior of the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, America, virtually identical to its North East England counterpart.