Reading Cinemas
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Movie theaters |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | James Cotter |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, New Zealand, Australia |
| Parent | Reading International |
Reading Cinemas () is a chain of movie theaters operating across the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. The chain is a subsidiary of Reading International, a corporation headquartered in the United States.
20th century
During the late 1980s, James Cotter, an attorney based in Los Angeles, utilized his holding firm Craig Corporation to purchase the Reading Company—a former railroad enterprise that had transitioned into real estate development after selling off its rail operations in 1976. Throughout the 1990s, Cotter broadened the company’s scope by venturing into film exhibition and live theater management, expanding beyond its original eastern Pennsylvania roots.
Reading Cinemas established its presence in Australia in 1995 and followed with expansion into New Zealand by 1997, launching multiplex venues under the Reading brand that featured popular mainstream movies. In the United States, Reading targeted specialized markets by acquiring the Angelika Film Center, an art-house cinema located in New York City in 1996, while also growing its multiplex footprint in Puerto Rico.
By 1996, Cotter restructured his business as Reading Entertainment, incorporated in Delaware. On December 31, 2001, a merger took place between Reading Entertainment, Craig Corporation, and Citadel Holding Corporation, uniting Cotter’s various assets under one entity.
21st century
Following Cotter’s passing in August 2014, control of his investment interests was placed into trusts that subsequently became entangled in extended legal disputes involving his successor CEO and son James Jr., alongside his daughters Ellen and Margaret.
In 2015, James Jr. was removed from leadership by his sisters and a majority vote from Reading International’s board of directors; Ellen Cotter was then appointed as CEO.
In 2023, Wellington’s Mayor Tory Whanau and City Council authorized negotiations for a NZ$32 million project aimed at renovating and reinforcing earthquake resilience for the historic Wellington theater building, which had been closed since 2019. Nevertheless, in April 2024, the Wellington City Council terminated this agreement due to Reading’s inability to secure its portion of the funding commitment.