Bay Theater reopens in Pacific Palisades with 'Ebenezer'
The Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades reopens Friday, Nov. 13, under Paramount and The Lot, with Johnny Depp's Ebenezer as its opening film.
By LA This Weekend Team · November 10, 20261 view
The Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades reopens Friday, Nov. 13, with Johnny Depp's "Ebenezer" as one of its first-run films. Variety reported the reopening a month after Paramount Pictures announced it would take over the cinemas. The theater has been closed since the January 2025 wildfires, and it returns as part of a Palisades Village that is itself only just back.
Who is running the Bay
Paramount Pictures, Rick Caruso and The Lot have reimagined the theaters, according to Variety. The Lot, a luxury dine-in cinema company, operates the Bay. Netflix ran the theaters before the fires. Caruso is the developer behind Palisades Village, the shopping area where the Bay sits. He built it in the 2010s and it opened in September 2018, according to the village's Wikipedia entry.
What the theater offers
The Bay has five auditoriums with immersive surround sound and laser projection. Each seat has adjustable foot, back, head and neck rests, plus USB charging and a personal dining table with custom lighting and buttons for ordering. Variety reported that the menu is made to order and served to seats, and includes appetizers, snacks, burgers, entrees and desserts.
The drink list includes wine, beer, mocktails and signature cocktails, including the Pacific Blush, Sunset Mule and Coastline Cantarito. A lounge and full-service bar has a video wall for sports, so moviegoers can gather before and after a film. The theater also plans to program nostalgic classics, curated screenings and special events, not only new releases.
Why the reopening matters to Palisades
The Palisades Fire in January 2025 destroyed much of the downtown area. Palisades Village was not damaged, but it closed. The village reopened on Aug. 15, 2026, after extensive repairs, according to its Wikipedia entry. Variety reported that the Bay had been closed since the wildfires, and that Paramount's takeover was announced about a month before this reopening.
For neighbors, a theater that opens again is a sign of routine coming back. Many residents spent years traveling for a movie. A Friday film and dinner in the village is a small return to normal, and it may be the first time many families have had that option since the fire.
Ebenezer and the people in it
Ebenezer is a 2026 film directed by Ti West, from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern. It is based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Johnny Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly businessman who is shown visions of the past, present and future. Rupert Grint plays Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's employee, and Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley. Daisy Ridley, Sam Claflin, Ellie Bamber and Andrea Riseborough also appear, according to the film's Wikipedia entry.
The movie premiered in New York City on Nov. 1 and opens in the United States and the United Kingdom on Nov. 13. Its Wikipedia entry lists a budget of $38 million. PEOPLE's Star Tracks roundup reported photos of Depp and Grint among Christmas trees at the film's London premiere on Nov. 9, along with Sam Claflin and Ellie Bamber at the same event.
Depp's return to the screen is a major part of the story for many readers. Variety's coverage focuses on the theater, not the film's reviews, so readers should look to film critics for how the movie is received.
Our take
The Bay is a test of whether a neighborhood cinema can be both a luxury experience and a community spot. The menu and the seating suggest the first. The nostalgic classics and curated screenings suggest the second. Readers will decide by whether they come back on an ordinary Tuesday, not only for opening week.
Have you been to the Bay yet, or will you see Ebenezer there? Tell us in the comments below, or post about it on the community board.
Where this comes from
The theater details come from Variety's Nov. 10 report on the reopening. The London premiere photos come from PEOPLE's Star Tracks roundup for Nov. 10. Background on Palisades Village and the film comes from their Wikipedia entries, which we checked against the Variety report for dates and the film's release.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below, or post about it on the community board.
LA This Weekend Team