Island 7 Cinemas
999 Newport Center, Newport Beach, CA. 92660
(949) 640 – 1218
Specifications
Operators: Edwards/REG
Status: Open
Opened: 10/6/89
Closed: NA
Current Use: Film/First Run
Screens: 7
Seating: Slope
Profile
Edwards Island Cinema opened as part of a late 80’s remodel of the Fashion Island shopping complex. Built on the second level, adjacent to the complex’s food court, the Island 7 was tucked away in a less traveled area of the highly popular outdoor mall. Between the venue’s hidden location, less than stellar amenities, and close proximity to Edwards’ “Big Newport” flagship theatre, the Island 7 never experienced a great deal of success and was soon utilized as more of a holdover venue.
The theatre is somewhat typical of Edwards’ late 80’s design. The lobby features a gold color scheme, side lobby concession stand, and second floor restroom facilities. Due to the mall location, auditoriums are accessed via a long hallway off of the lobby (known as ”the grand corridor”). Each of the seven auditoriums is modest in size and feature fixed masking. 70 mm capability is available in the largest auditorium, but the fixed masking and relatively small screen fail to take advantage of the seldom used large format.
As with most interior mall cinemas, the Island 7 has been more subject to mall trends than movie going trends and has faced the numerous restrictions that come with such a location.
Images
Click on images for larger view