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Twin 22-floor condo towers set to replace Big Newport movie theater near Fashion Island

March 14, 2026

Regal Edwards Big Newport, the movie theater that has been the hub of the Newport Beach Film Festival for more than 25 years, may be on its way out amid a broader vision to reinvent the city’s downtown, Newport Center.

The theater, which opened in 1969 right across from the popular high-end Fashion Island outdoor mall, could be demolished following a recent unanimous decision by the Newport Beach Planning Commission approving a proposal to build twin 22-floor towers housing 150 two- to four-bedroom condos and two penthouses.

Regal Edwards Big Newport, a 1969-era theater in Newport Beach on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, may soon be demolished to make room for twin 22-story condo towers. The units would be two-to four-bedroom in size with some penthouse options. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The approved development for the 4 acres now occupied by the movie house and a fitness center is described as a luxury project and would also include home offices that tower residents could purchase. The two structures would be connected by a shared base housing the offices, a cafe and other retail options. Two swimming pools, a bocce court, a yoga studio, a dog spa and a clubroom would all be part of the condo lifestyle. Parking would be underground and at street level, with 24/7 valet service.

“We are excited to move forward and contribute to Newport Center’s evolution as one of the most prestigious business, retail, hospitality and residential destinations in Southern California,” Gino Canori, president and CEO of developer Related California, said in a statement after getting the OK from the city’s commission on March 5.

The planning commissioners embraced the proposal and said they liked how it fit into a broader plan to refresh what city officials call Newport Beach’s downtown, a shopping, business and entertainment district that already has several office towers, high-end hotels and apartments, to create an even more luxurious, walkable residential and mixed-use community.

“It’s a beautiful project,” Commissioner Chair Tristan Harris said during the meeting. “I think it drives a new era.”

Two appeals of the commission’s decision to the City Council were filed this week; one by the Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility and one on behalf of Save Our Theater. It is unclear when the council will consider the appeals.

Two twin 22-floor condo towers are planned for a 4-acre site that is currently home to Regal Edwards Big Newport and a fitness facility. The development planned by Related California would be the first of its kind in Newport Beach if built. (Rendering courtesy of Related California)

Newport Center

While Related California officials are calling their project the area’s first such housing, and with that are expecting a lot of market interest, there are also several Irvine Co. projects, such as the Villas at Fashion Island apartment homes and Grandville, a 67-unit gated community, that have been built around the shopping plaza.

Other Irvine Co. projects are also in various stages of planning with the city, and there are 184 apartment units under construction along San Clemente Drive that will extend the villa development.

Further around the ring of Newport Center Drive, in blocks 100 and 200, the Irvine Co. plans to take down some midlevel office buildings and construct 600 new apartments.

The company also has an allocation of 700 more units to develop within and around Fashion Island, said Jaime Murillo, the city’s director of community development.

Canori, in his statement, added that his team has taken tremendous care working with Newport Beach and world-class architects to ensure the project complements and aligns with the vision and plan for Newport Center.

“We are grateful to the city’s leaders and the Edwards family for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine this iconic site in the heart of Newport Beach,” Canori said.

The theater and the nearby fitness center could be demolished by the end of the year, or at the latest, the summer of 2027, Murillo said, based on comments from Jim Edwards, whose father opened Big Newport and recently told commissioners that the family has decided not to extend its agreement with Regal to operate beyond June 2027.

Edwards told planning commissioners that theater attendance has declined significantly and that, like many others, Big Newport was not “immune to those conditions.”

While several people at the Planning Commission meeting lamented the loss of the theater and its place in the community’s history and social culture, Gregg Schwenk, who co-founded the Newport Beach Film Festival, said its demolition would directly affect the festival, which this year will be in its 27th season.

In addition to hosting the opening night reception, Big Newport typically hosts multiple screening events throughout the festival’s run. And in recent years, Schwenk said attendance at the film festival has been trending up.

“Admissions might be decreasing for general films,” he said. “In the last five years post-COVID, they’ve been record years for the festival. We’ve done exceptionally well at the Big Newport, and we were hoping for many more years.

“We understand landowners need to maximize their values,” he added, “we just wish that they would’ve reached out to us and talked about ideas and options for mitigating the impact on the film festival.”

Schwenk said he recognizes that, at the end of the day, for the city and the developers, it is about “highest and best use.”

“There’s very few places to screen movies,” he said, “and these cultural centers are disappearing.”

Twin 22-floor condo towers set to replace Big Newport movie theater near Fashion Island Orange County Register

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Twin 22-floor condo towers set to replace Big Newport movie theater near Fashion Island

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