Silver screen fans have something to cheer in The Bronx.
The massive lack of movie theaters in the borough — where only one film house has been operating for the past year — got a little bit of help this week when a 10-screen cinema opened up not far from Yankee Stadium this week.
The Regal Concourse is now operating at the site of the former Multiplex Cinema in The Bronx, which shuttered last April – and now joins the AMC Bay Plaza Cinema 13 near Co-op City as the only two theaters for the borough’s 1.4 million residents.
The new cineplex – which is revamped with reclining seats and surround-sound – is a much-needed hub for family entertainment, Bronx moviegoers told The Post.
“There’s nothing for [kids] to do because public parks aren’t safe past a certain time,” said Ingrid Walton, 36.
“There’s nothing around here unless you’re willing to pay for Yankee tickets,” she said, with her 12-year-old son John in tow Wednesday. “And that’s only during the season. There are no affordable options for families around here.”
“After the closure of the Concourse Multiplex, many in our community felt the loss of a space where children, families, and movie lovers could come together to enjoy the magic of film,” Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said Tuesday.
The theater is hosting “charity screenings” of 2024 blockbuster films for just $3 on Wednesday and Thursday, with proceeds to benefit the Turn 2 Foundation and Police Athletic League Bronx.
Charity screenings include “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “A Bronx Tale,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2,” “Twisters” and “Wicked.”
Discounted screenings will also be available for Regal Crown Club members every Tuesday, a rep said.
“I was devastated when they closed the multiplex cinema here,” said Ashtyn McCall, a 35-year-old hairstylist who brought her twin 7-year-old daughters, Adisyn and Aubrey, to see “Moana 2.”
“I thought the community lost something, but we got something even better,” she said. “I’m so excited!”
“I’ve been coming [to Concourse Plaza] since I was a child,” Walton remarked. “I was really sad when it closed … Co-op City is too far and the Magic Johnson [AMC] theater in Harlem isn’t always an option, so this was it.”
Tatiana Ramirez, Regal Concourse’s general manager who lives blocks away, agreed that the closure of the former theater “was a big hit to the neighborhood.”
“This is part of the Bronx’s atmosphere,” Ramirez, 34, said. “[It’s] a place to go with family to build memories … especially post-COVID.”
“It’s so important to have movie theaters because you need to have a place to socialize, to gather and get out of the house,” said Wally Santos, 64, a retired dry cleaner.
“We have a seven and a 12-year-old,” said Santos, of the Country Club section of The Bronx. “We’re bringing them here tomorrow to see Wicked.”
“We’re closer to Co-op City but I got to say, I like this theater better,” Santos’ wife Jennifer added.
“It feels more Bronx-y, more family oriented.”
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