Kristen Stewart Buys Historic LA Theater

Actor aims to restore Highland Theatre into new communal film space

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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.

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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 (Architectural Digest)

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.