Kristen Stewart Buys Historic LA Theater

Actor aims to restore Highland Theatre into new communal film space

Feb. 7, 2026 at 7:55pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Actress Kristen Stewart has purchased the historic and dilapidated Highland Theatre in Los Angeles, a 1925 movie palace and former vaudeville venue. Stewart plans to restore the theater, describing it as an "antidote to all the corporate bull----, a place that takes movie culture away from just buying and selling."

Why it matters

Stewart's purchase of the Highland Theatre represents a shift away from the corporate ownership and commercialization of movie theaters, as she aims to create a more community-oriented and culturally significant film space in Los Angeles.

The details

The Highland Theatre is a historic 1925 movie palace and former vaudeville venue that has fallen into disrepair. Stewart plans to restore the theater, with the goal of transforming it into a new kind of communal film space that moves away from the corporate model of movie theaters.

  • Kristen Stewart purchased the Highland Theatre in February 2026.

The players

Kristen Stewart

An American actress who has ventured into directing and is now becoming a theater owner with the purchase of the historic Highland Theatre in Los Angeles.

Highland Theatre

A historic 1925 movie palace and former vaudeville venue in Los Angeles that Kristen Stewart has purchased with the aim of restoring it into a new kind of communal film space.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I see it as an antidote to all the corporate bull----, a place that takes movie culture away from just buying and selling.”

— Kristen Stewart

What’s next

Stewart plans to begin the restoration process on the Highland Theatre in the coming months, with the goal of transforming it into a new kind of communal film space for the Los Angeles community.

The takeaway

Kristen Stewart's purchase of the historic Highland Theatre represents a shift away from the corporate ownership and commercialization of movie theaters, as she aims to create a more community-oriented and culturally significant film space in Los Angeles.