The Richmond District’s 4 Star Theater will become part of Cinema SF, a neighborhood theater chain, after being sold for an undisclosed price. Following renovations, the theater is slated to reopen in spring 2022, according to a post on the Instagram account of now-sister theater the Balboa Theater, located in the Outer Richmond. Cinema SF also operates the Vogue Theater in Presidio Heights.
“Audiences can anticipate the same thoughtful, eclectic programming and community-focused initiatives at the 4 Star that they’ve come to expect from our homes at the Balboa and Vogue theaters,” the post said. “We look forward to creating more opportunities, and welcoming you to the new space soon.”
Adam Bergeron, owner-operator of the Balboa and operator of the Vogue, will oversee operations at the 4 Star. The theater’s previous owners, Frank and Lida Lee of Lee Neighborhood Theaters — who also own the Presidio’s Presidio Theater and the Marina Theater in the Marina — had operated the 4-Star since 1992 and owned it since 2006. They will continue running the Presidio and Marina theaters, according to an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle’s culture publication Datebook.
Before closing in March 2020 on account of the pandemic, the two-screen theater was well-loved for its programming, which included Hollywood blockbusters, independent films and, in particular, Asian cinema. Speaking to Datebook, Bergeron said he plans to continue showing Asian films while also incorporating showings of classic and “eclectic” cinema.
