New five-screen, locally owned movie theater to open in west Wichita

Towne West Square is getting a new movie theater where Regal used to have the Movie Machine.

Tyler Cooper and business partner Ryan Blasdel are opening Boulevard Theatres on the west side of the mall where the Movie Machine had five screens.

“Our theaters are going to be different than . . . what’s currently available,” Cooper said.

Boulevard will offer first-run shows at reduced prices.

Adult tickets will be $8 plus tax for evening shows and $6.50 plus tax for matinees. Children’s tickets always will be $5.

On Movie Mondays, all tickets will be $5.

“It’ll be a little bit more of a fun day,” Cooper said.

Concessions will be at reduced prices as well.

Cooper and Blasdel have done extensive remodeling and are trying to create what Cooper called “this new, hip kind of vibe.”

There is all-new equipment, too.

“It’s going to be a great viewing experience,” Cooper said.

Regal temporarily closed during the first year of the pandemic and then briefly reopened before closing for good.

Cooper said he believes the Wichita moviegoing experience hasn’t been the same since Bill Warren sold his theaters to Regal.

“We feel like the moviegoing experience in Wichita has kind of suffered a little bit,” he said. “Most importantly, what we want to bring back is that customer service experience. We want people to have fun at the movies.”

Cooper has had the Design Firm, an advertising agency, for almost 20 years. He also used to publish the Wichita Magazine.

He said he “was always fascinated with the movies.”

When the Starlite Drive-In sold a few years ago, the new owner hired him to rebrand the theater and help with management.

Cooper, who is the majority owner of Boulevard Theatres, had looked into buying theaters in Oklahoma and Alabama before deciding to open something locally.

Larry Brooks, director of leasing for mall owner Kohan Retail Investment Group, handled the deal for the almost 16,000-square-foot theater space.

“The movie theater is a big, big deal for us because it creates critical mass,” Brooks said. “It brings people to the mall.”

He said moviegoers will find other mall tenants to visit, including restaurants and retail shops.

Cooper is waiting on the last of his concession equipment to arrive before he can open, which most likely will be in March.

New projectors were installed last week.

“Everything’s moving in the right direction.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 12:24 PM.