PANAMA CITY — To their disappointment, Dena Smith and her young son arrived at the theater in the Panama City Mall on Tuesday afternoon only to see a sign that it had closed.
“We’re so sad,” she said, pointing out that she was hoping that "Jumanji 2," just released in 2017, was playing.
The theater, which was AMC Classic Panama City Mall 4 location, had been in the mall since it opened in 1976 under different corporate names, with Carmike owning it the longest period of time. AMC took over Carmike theaters about a year ago.
The mall theater was a place where people could watch second-run movies for as cheap as $1.25 during the week. Smith said she enjoyed the mall theater because it wasn’t crowded and besides watching the movie, she could also shop and enjoy food in the Food Court where the theater is located.
A sign outside of the theater said people could still watch first-run AMC movies at its theater at 4049 West 23rd St.
AMC officials could not be reached for comment.
Mall marketing director Erin Wommack said the mall had no comment Tuesday about the closure of the theater or what might take its place because it had not been given much information yet.
“AMC owns all the Carmike movie theater locations, and we are still not sure what led to their decision and we have no comment at this time,” she said. “It was out of our control.”
Movie theaters in malls have been closing across the country as people have turned to online shopping and with the development of outdoor malls.
Smith said she finds this sad, as she enjoys the indoor mall and movie experience.
“It was a popular thing to come in and get out of rain into an air conditioned mall and walk around and go to every place you needed to go," she said. "And now the business has all gone to places like Pier Park where you are outside sweating in the summer."
Matthew Hughes, who is 24 and works at Bakery Fresh in the Food court, said he is sad that the theater has closed for nostalgic reasons.
“Back in the ‘90s I used to go there,” he said. “In fact, I saw my first Batman in that theater. I think I saw the first Star Wars movie there, too.”