It’s Coming Back — Riverview Plaza Movie Theater Set to Return in 2026 with New IMAX Experience”
After a five-year hiatus, moviegoers in South Philadelphia can look forward to the return of the Riverview Plaza theater in 2026—this time featuring a state-of-the-art IMAX screen.
IMAX and Apple Cinemas, a boutique theater chain based in Massachusetts, confirmed plans Thursday to renovate and reopen the multiplex. “A number of our locations in suburban Philadelphia are among our best performing in the country, so we’re excited to return to the city itself in a prime location with a great partner in Apple Cinemas,” said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
The theater, once Philadelphia’s top-grossing multiplex, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It joins a list of notable IMAX venues in the region that shut their doors during that time, including The Franklin Institute’s Tuttelman IMAX theater and AMC’s Franklin Mills location.
Riverview Plaza has a long history along Columbus Boulevard. Developed by Bart Blatstein’s Tower Investments in the late 1980s, the theater opened in 1991 with nine screens before expanding to 17, including an IMAX auditorium. Blatstein sold the property in 2003, but after plans for a $12 million renovation stalled, he reacquired it in 2022. The shopping center is currently anchored by Staples and Pep Boys, with additional restaurants also in the works.
The upgraded theater will feature an IMAX laser projector, advanced sound system, and redesigned seating. IMAX plans to make the South Philly venue a “marquee” location in its U.S. portfolio, which includes about 375 screens nationwide.
In the Philadelphia region, other IMAX screens can be found at Regal UA King of Prussia, Regal Warrington Crossing, Penn Cinema in Huntingdon Valley, AMC Neshaminy 24 in Bensalem, and AMC Cherry Hill 24 in South Jersey, as well as locations in Downingtown, Bethlehem, and Wilmington, Delaware.
Apple Cinemas currently operates three IMAX theaters in the U.S., with plans to add three more in Maine, New Hampshire, and California over the next two years.
