Sun-Ray Cinema announced Wednesday on social media that it’s found a property in Daytona Beach to set up shop for movie lovers in the area.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Five Points Gem is taking its success to Daytona Beach. Sun-Ray Cinema announced Wednesday on social media that it found a property in Daytona Beach to set up shop for movie lovers in the area.
The new location was built in 2002 but got an update in 2016. It comes with ten screens, stadium risers and reclining seats. Sun-Ray said it’s been working toward a location in Daytona since 2019, but had to postpone due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Sun-Ray Cinema experience wouldn’t be anything without its unique menu and seat-side service, so those services will also be taken to the new location.
Jacksonville movie lovers, don’t worry. The new theatre won’t replace its location in Five Points. The owner even hinted that a successful opening in Daytona Beach could even mean opening more theatres right here in Jacksonville.
“Once we get this up off the ground we will look more attractive to Jacksonville developers,” Sun-Ray Cinema wrote on Facebook.
The exact address of the new location has yet to be announced, but Sun-Ray did say the place is on the beach and has a great view of the water from the lobby. While there is not an official opening date, the theatre said it plans to “get this off the ground” in early 2024.
Sun-Ray Cinema drive-in set to close beginning of 2024
Just days before announcing its second location, Sun-Ray said it’s shutting down its drive-in service after more than three years. The theatre said Monday that December will be the last month its drive-in theatre will be in operation.
Sun-Ray said it wasn’t able to get permission from property owners to build a permanent screen at the location, and didn’t want to continue using its temporary screen solution for the drive-in.
The drive-in’s last screening will be of the Christmas classic ‘Elf’ on Dec. 23 at 7 p.m.
Sun-Ray will be showing other Christmas films next month, including ‘Home Alone’, ‘Die Hard’, and ‘Christmas Vacation.’
Here’s a look at the drive-in schedule:
- Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. | ‘Home Alone’
- Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. | ‘Die Hard’
- Dec. 15 & Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. | ‘Christmas Vacation
- Dec. 22 & Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. | ‘Elf’
IMAX Theatre still in reach?
After announcing its Daytona Beach location, users took to social media comments to ask a question that has been up in the air for months: Will Sun-Ray Cinema acquire the IMAX Theatre in the World Golf Hall of Fame?
Over the summer, Sun-Ray Cinema Co-Owner Shana David-Massett told St. Johns County leaders the theatre was interested in doing whatever it could to keep the IMAX Theater alive after it was announced the World Golf Hall of Fame was moving to Pinehurst, North Carolina.
The theatre is home to the biggest movie screen in Northeast Florida.
“We’d hate to see this go away, so whatever you’re going to do next, feel free to reach out because we’d like to take this on, and we can take this on,” said David-Massett to St. Johns County leaders in July.
But that will have to be a later discussion, or at least until January.
St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews told First Coast News Wednesday night the county has no plan to sell the World Golf Hall of Fame at this time, and the IMAX Theatre is open under the same leadership.
“The World Golf Foundation and the county will open the discussion again in January next year to discuss whether the foundation or the county will continue the operation of IMAX Theatre at that time,” said Andrews.
