The end of an era, a trifecta of cinema closures, and concerns about traffic & parking congestion due to new real estate developments, have been the hot topic of conversation in Calabasas. 

Yesterday, December 28, 2025, the last movie theater in the region between Thousand Oaks and Woodland Hills—and south all the way to Santa Monica— closed its doors forever. Previously the Malibu Colony theater closed, then earlier this year The Regency Agoura Hills closed*, and now the beautiful Regency Calabasas theater has closed.

*(You can read more about new developments in Agoura Hills here: https://www.lydiagable.com/blog/2025/12/27/5-things-every-home-buyer-needs-to-know-before-moving-to-agoura-hills)

According to The Acorn:  The Regency Calabasas theater at The Commons is being torn down to make way for redevelopment at the Rick Caruso shopping center. “It has been our pride and pleasure to serve the Calabasas community,” Regency Calabasas Commons said in a post to followers on Meta. “We are truly grateful for your patronage and hope we’ve provided you with many great movie memories”.

Calabasas residents and home owners are unhappy about it. So why is this happening? 

The national and local movie going experience has changed, wherein fewer people go to the movies anymore and everything is quickly available on streaming services. Due to a decline in attendance, cinemas and other businesses have experienced closures in the past several years. 

According to the real estate developer, Caruso, a new expansion is underway in Calabasas for more home living space, commercial space, and community parks. Quoted from their website:

The exciting new expansion includes 80 beautifully designed luxury apartments nestled between the shops and the hillside, along with approximately 27,000 square feet of curated new shops, restaurants with outdoor dining and a meandering paseo with wide sidewalks and beautiful landscaping at an attractive pedestrian scale. The community will be able to enjoy a leisurely walk, window shop, and connect with friends and neighbors. The architecture and design will complement The Commons’ Mediterranean style, with colors and materials compatible with the current design.  

Inspired by the community, for the community, the plan will include a lush new area that creates a welcoming new space perfect for movies in the park, gathering with friends, children’s events, enjoying a good book, listening to local musicians, or for community gatherings and celebrations.  

The Commons at Calabasas will offer elegant, beautifully designed apartment homes designed specifically for Calabasas. Most will be nestled between the ground floor shops and the hillside–where the movie theater currently exists–substantially set back from shops, restaurants, and nearby streets. The homes will serve young professionals and families, as well as seniors looking to downsize and remain in the community. The new homes will also help Calabasas thoughtfully meet local housing goals. 

The luxury apartments will also serve Calabasas home buyers and home sellers who are relocating and need interim apartments to reside, as well as a place for extended family to live nearby current homeowners. We welcome our new neighbors.

We’ve already seen (and enjoyed) the addition of Bacio DiLatte, Kazu Nori, BLVD Steak and Zimmerman (Designer Clothing Showroom) to The Commons at Calabasas. We hope Caruso and his team will do their best work for our beloved city, and we hope to enjoy the proposed greenery community space with you all.