Muvico Theaters
| File:Centroybor.JPG The Muvico 20-screen cinema complex located in Ybor City, downtown Tampa, Florida | |
| Company type | Private enterprise |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 in Coral Springs, Florida |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Fate | Purchased by AMC Theatres |
| Headquarters | Oakland Park, Florida |
Muvico Theaters was a chain of movie theaters based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company operated seven locations throughout Florida, with additional venues in the Chicago metropolitan area (Rosemont) and Thousand Oaks, California. Muvico was distinguished by its themed cinemas, which included designs inspired by Egyptian motifs, 1950s drive-in theaters, French opera houses, Mediterranean palaces, and grand movie palaces from the 1920s.
Corporate history
Established in 1984 by Hamid Hashemi, an entrepreneur originally from Iran, Muvico began with the purchase of the Movie Center 3 theater in Coral Springs, Florida. The company experienced rapid growth between 1985 and 1995, acquiring or constructing eight theaters that together housed 59 screens. To streamline operations and better compete with industry leaders such as Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark, and AMC Theatres, Muvico divested all theaters except for Palm Harbor 10 in 1995.
In 1996, Muvico expanded by acquiring five theaters from United Artist Theaters (now part of Regal) located in South and Central Florida, adding 43 screens to its portfolio. The chain debuted its first themed megaplex in 1998 with the opening of Muvico Pointe 21 in Orlando, which featured a "book of dreams" concept. This was followed by an 18-screen venue in Pompano Beach adorned with a 1950s drive-in theme and a 24-screen megaplex in Davie showcasing an Egyptian motif.
The year 2000 saw Muvico inaugurate four additional megaplexes across Florida and one at Arundel Mills in Maryland; the latter was decorated with Egyptian themes and included a prominent Anubis statue. In 2001, the company launched Peabody Place 22 in Memphis, Tennessee, designed to resemble a train station. Muvico later sold the Pointe Orlando 21 location to Regal Cinemas and opened new theaters at Coconut Pointe and Boynton Beach. By 2007, IMAX technology had been introduced at the Baywalk 20 theater in St. Petersburg and subsequently at Parisian 20 in West Palm Beach.
Following an unsuccessful buyout effort, Hashemi was removed from his leadership role by the board in early 2006, resulting in legal challenges. He subsequently founded IPIC, a chain offering luxury dining combined with movie experiences.
In September 2007, Muvico unveiled an 18-screen theater in Rosemont, Illinois. This venue was styled after classic Hollywood movie palaces from the 1920s and featured Bogart's Bar and Grill along with Premier Theaters; Bogart's has since closed, with AMC taking over operations from 2017 onward.
In March 2009, Muvico divested its Maryland Egyptian-themed 24-screen location along with three Florida theaters—The Palace 20 Boca Raton, Boynton Beach 14, and Paradise 24 Davie—to Cinemark. That same year, the Coconut Pointe 16 theater was sold to Hollywood Theaters.
By late 2010, D-Box motion seat technology was introduced at two South Florida sites before being implemented across all company locations.
On November 4, 2013, Carmike Cinemas announced an agreement to purchase Muvico Theaters for approximately $31.8 million; the acquisition was finalized by the end of that year. Subsequently, Carmike itself was acquired by AMC Theatres in December 2016 for $1.1 billion, establishing AMC as the largest cinema exhibitor in the United States and incorporating Muvico’s venues into its portfolio.
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Former movie theater chains in the United States
- Businesses headquartered in Broward County, Florida
- American corporations founded in 1984
- Establishments founded in Florida in 1984
- Florida entities dissolved in 2017
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
- American companies established in 1984