Boise Area Bids Sad Farewell to Fourth Movie Theater in Less Than Two Years

Edwards BoDo*. Country Club Reel Theatre. Edwards Nampa Gateway. The last few years haven’t treated some movie theaters in the Boise area well. Another theater just joined the list of movie theater closures. 

The final credits have rolled at the Northgate Reel Theatre on State Street. As the final screenings ended on Thursday night, the theater posted a message to their valued customers on their Facebook page: 

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the permanent closure of Northgate Reel Theaters, effective Friday, August 4th. While this decision has not been easy, we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support you have shown us throughout the years. Your patronage has been the cornerstone of our success, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you.

The message went on to invite moviegoers that had been loyal to this Reel Theatre location to visit the theater chain’s Eagle Luxe theater at 170 E Eagles Gate Dr. It’s about a 13-minute drive between the two theaters. 

While we’re sad to see another theater in the Boise area call it quits, the announcement didn’t shock us. Like many theaters across the country, the Northgate Reel Theatre closed for a second time when COVID-19 surged again in October 2020. While it was closed, the second run theater was listed for sale for $3,750,000 and was marketed as a potential church. 

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However, Reel surprised everyone by reopening the theater the following November as a first-run theater for major releases. We’re not sure how many people realized it, but it was one of the cheapest places in town to catch a new movie. Evening adult tickets were just $8. A similar ticket would cost you $11.50 at their Luxe branded theater in Caldwell or $12.50 at the one in Eagle. 

The property is listed for lease by Colliers. The listing indicates that the landlord plans to demolish existing improvements in order to give the next tenant a vanilla shell. 

Reel Theatres still operates first-run theaters in Caldwell, Eagle and Ontario. They have second-run discount theaters in Nampa and Pocatello.

*Edwards BoDo was purchased by CinemaWest and reopened as BoDo Cinema this spring. More on the renovations HERE.