Kristen Stewart has officially taken on a new role: owner of a huge piece of Los Angeles cinema history.
The actress confirmed in the March issue of Los Angeles Architectural compendium that she purchased the legendary Highland Theater, a 1925 landmark located in the vibrant Highland Park neighborhood.
The venue was a local staple for nearly a century before closing its doors in 2024, and although rumors of Stewart’s involvement swirled last summer, she has now made her commitment to the venue official.
Stewart admitted that she didn’t intentionally decide to buy a theater until she saw the Highland, but once she did, she felt an immediate and intense urge to own it.
His interest springs from a deep curiosity about ancient places and the hidden stories they might hold.
“I’m fascinated by old, ruined theaters. I always want to discover what mysteries they hold,” she shared.
While the theater recently appeared on screen in Marvel’s Wonderful man and that of David Fincher The Adventures of Cliff Booth, where it replaced Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Theater, it is currently in need of extensive renovations.
Stewart’s plan is not to create an exclusive club for industry insiders, but to build a true community hub.
She explained that she wanted to create a space for people to “plan and dream together,” calling the project a family affair.
Stewart sees the site “as an antidote to all the corporate bullshit, a place that moves movie culture away from just buying and selling.”
She believes “there’s a huge desire and desire for what this type of space can offer.”
The purchase is particularly important because Highland Park currently has no other movie theaters, although it is full of popular bars and restaurants.
Local movie buffs usually have to travel to nearby Eagle Rock for the Vidiots Theater or to Silver Lake to visit the Vista Theater.
While Stewart recently suggested that she might look to Europe for her future film projects, joking, “I’d like to make films in Europe and then shove them down the throats of the American people,” this investment shows that she’s still very invested in the Los Angeles indie scene.
She said Architectural compendium that she intends to repair the many historic details that have fallen into disrepair, reviving the building in a way that respects its 1925 roots while bringing something entirely fresh to the neighborhood.
For Stewart, the ultimate goal is to introduce “new ideas” to the Los Angeles film community and move away from the corporate nature of modern cinema.
