A movie theater that has anchored the Alga Road and El Camino Real corridor in Carlsbad since 1991 is closing its doors this month. Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas La Costa Paseo Real, a six-screen venue known for its reclining leather seats and full bar, is shutting down after operating under various owners for 35 years near the Carlsbad City Library.
The exact closing date is unclear from conflicting reports. According to The Coast News, Cinépolis will close the theater on Oct. 31, while North Coast Current reports the location will close permanently on Oct. 29, with final evening showtimes that day. The theater offers reclining leather seats, in-theater food and drink service and a full bar, per The Coast News.
A Theater With Decades of History in Carlsbad
The six-screen theater at 6941 El Camino Real first opened as an Edwards Cinemas location on Nov. 22, 1991, according to Cinema Treasures. Ultrastar Cinemas took over the property in 2001, and Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas assumed operations in May 2011, the same source notes.
The companies behind the theater's history have seen their own upheaval. Edwards filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000, according to seed facts tied to the North Coast Current report. Cinépolis itself was founded in 1971 and is based in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, with its U.S. operations headquartered in Dallas, managing an international network of theaters.
Why The Closure Is Happening Remains Disputed
The two outlets also disagree on why the theater is closing. The Coast News reports that the company's notice did not explain the decision. North Coast Current, however, reports that Cinépolis attributed the closure to the theater's lease expiring.
Cinépolis said the closure affects only the Paseo Real location, and that its nearby La Costa Town Square, Del Mar and Vista theaters will remain open, per the same account from North Coast Current. The company said employees affected by the closure have been notified and will receive transition assistance, along with opportunities to transfer to neighboring theaters. Gift cards and rewards points tied to the shuttering location will remain usable at other Cinépolis locations, the outlet reports.
Luis Olloqui said Paseo Real had been a gathering place for 15 years because of its team and the Carlsbad community, according to the seed facts behind the North Coast Current report. Olloqui added that Cinépolis would continue welcoming customers at its other locations, including La Costa Town Square.
A Separate Theater Stays Open Nearby
Moviegoers in the area won't be left without a nearby Cinépolis option. The closing location is separate from Cinépolis La Costa Town Square, an eight-screen theater that opened in February 2020 at 3434 Via Mercato, The Coast News reports. That theater spans 33,368 square feet with 570 seats, according to NBC 7 San Diego.
Part Of A Rocky Stretch For San Diego Theaters
The Paseo Real closure adds to a string of recent setbacks for San Diego County's movie theaters. Reading Cinemas permanently closed its Grossmont Center location in La Mesa on June 1, leaving the county without any Reading Cinemas theaters at all, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
The broader industry has had a bumpy few years. U.S. box-office revenue was down 11% year over year during the first quarter of 2025, with March alone down 50% compared with the same month in 2024, according to the Los Angeles Times. Many theaters responded by diversifying into restaurants and other amenities and sprucing up their facilities to lure patrons back, the paper reported. The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, for example, saw January and February ticket sales climb 37% over the previous year, with January becoming its biggest month on record.
More recently, the industry has shown signs of recovery. Year-to-date domestic box-office revenue was running about 23% higher than the prior year by spring 2026, with ticket sales across the U.S. and Canada up nearly 16%, the Los Angeles Times reported in a follow-up story. Even so, operators continue to face pressure from fewer film releases and difficulty filling seats, the paper noted. Elsewhere in the exhibition business, Maya Cinemas' five California locations and its North Las Vegas theater have continued operating while the company reorganizes under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to TheStreet.
