Sydney's Academy Twin to close on Sunday
Palace Cinemas has announced that its Academy Twin cinemas in Paddington will close on June 27.
“Discussions over our future tenancy with the building’s owner, the Greek Orthodox Community of Sydney, has been ongoing over several years. Palace put several highly considered and dynamic proposals to the landlord to keep the Academy open, including plans for renovation and expansion, however the parties were unable to reach agreement,” the company announced on its website.
“With much regret, and considerable sadness and disappointment, Palace Cinemas regrettably announces that the Academy Twin, one of Sydney’s original and most beloved two-screen arthouse cinemas, will close for the final time on Sunday June 27.”
The cinema opened in 1974 and specialised in art house films. Fifteen jobs will be lost.
The story goes that negotiations with the owners about the Academy have been going on for at least five years…. and Palace took over the Chauvel five years ago….. a bit cynical maybe, but also a bit of long term planning there by someone to make sure they had their backside covered. Whatever dollars Palace has lost at the Chauvel so far will be returned handsomely now. With 450 seats at the Chauvel, all the festivals and events could move there quite easily and the Verona can continue as is.
Amazing to think the Academys opened with ‘Fritz the Cat’ – that seems a lifetime (and another consciousness) ago!!! There were certainly some GBOR records broken at the Academy over the years. And a record number of floods in the cinemas and offices when it rained!
By contrast to the Academy situation, in Melbourne, the Carlton Nova which started off as a mere twin in 1992 keeps on expanding and is now up to 15 burrows. Maybe that’s what Sydney needs!! .
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Hey, could I add that it is really sad to see any cinema close and especially the Academy’s which over their many management regimes have been almost iconic as the venues for a multitude of fantastic cinematic experiences for audiences.
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Cinema at Double Bay an option?
[edited for legal reasons]
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Very sad day…..
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