Paterson will be without a movie theater
Fabian 8 Cinema to close, citing attendance plunge
PATERSON – The Fabian 8 Cinema, the city’s only movie theater, announced that it will close next Sunday, with its manager saying the business never recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The impending shutdown will put Paterson back in the position where it was 15 years ago: a city without a movie theater.
“It’s going to be a big loss for the city,” said Councilman Luis Velez. “We were looking for a movie theater and then we got this one.”
The Fabian opened at Center City Mall in February 2010 and was applauded as a way to bring customers into the shopping center.
Theater manager Tom Arnold said the Fabian had been successful before the pandemic, attracting 2,000 to 4,000 patrons per week to watch movies on its eight screens. He noted that the theater had been planning renovations and upgrades, such as reclining seats, just before COVID hit.
Attendance at the Fabian has been down by about 75% in the aftermath of the pandemic, with weekly audiences recently ranging between 500 and 1,000 people, Arnold said.
The manager said the Fabian suffered the same fate as other independent small movie theaters, like those that have shut down in Ridgewood and Bergenfield.
Mayor Andre Sayegh, who frequently posts on social media about him and his family going to the Fabian, said he was saddened by the closure announcement.
“The theater holds a special place in our community for over a decade, and
its loss will undoubtedly be felt by residents,” the mayor said. “That is why I am exploring various avenues to keep the theater open, including maintaining discussions with stakeholders and potential investors to secure a viable solution to sustain its operations.”
Sayegh said the Fabian’s demise is part of “a wider trend.”
“The shift in preference for how individuals watch and enjoy movies hurts the bottom line of many theaters, making it difficult to keep them open,” the mayor said. “We will continue to explore opportunities to enhance entertainment options for all residents and stimulate continued economic activity in our city.”
Velez said Paterson needs a “plan B” for the movie theater location. “We can’t afford to have empty spaces like that, especially not in the mall,” the councilman said.
It was not clear on Monday morning what the plans will be for filling the movie theater’s space at the mall.
Councilman Michael Jackson blamed the movie theater’s shutdown on the wave of development under Sayegh’s watch that he said has sent rents soaring in the city.
“If you can’t afford to pay your rent, you’re not going to be able to scrape up the money to take your family to the movies,” Jackson said.