After months of speculation about its future, the Lumina Theater in Southern Village announced that it will remain open under new ownership.

A group of angel investors — Save Ferris LLC — reached an agreement with DR Bryan of Southern Village developer Bryan Properties and hired Tony Smith as executive director to manage the transition under new ownership.

“We realized there aren’t that many local community theater options available for folks who want a cozy and unique experience,” said Smith in a release, “but now, by partnering with an energetic and determined group of new owners who are determined to succeed, we plan to create a movie experience that is fun, affordable, and accessible to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, North Chatham, Pittsboro and surrounding areas.”

In July, officials with Bryan Properties, which owns and operates the Lumina, said that the theater’s last day of operation was scheduled for September 2. However, that date was pushed back to 2020 as the theater worked to find new ownership.

With the change in ownership, significant investments are also planned to update Lumina Theater including new seating, a general facelift, and an updated lobby.

Other improvements include updating customer experience with online ticketing and reserved seating as well as welcoming community groups into the theater for events and activities.

“We love The Lumina and are proud and excited to take this local landmark forward,” said Aaron Westrick, a board member of Save Ferris LLC, in a release. ”Our goal is to move beyond the days of just selling movie tickets -— we surveyed over 1200 Lumina fans about how we could provide a highly-customized theater experience, and we listened. We’re currently testing some new ideas at the guidance of the people. The community has rallied around The Lumina Theater, and we are going to lead them on their journey.”

Fans of the Lumina Theater can go to thelumina.com for more information on how they can support the theater.

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