prime purchase
Amazon a prime player in rumors of River Oaks Theatre purchase
In a power move that could signal its continued world domination, digital monolith Amazon is reported to be a player in the purchase of the Landmark Theatres chain, which operates 50 boutique locations across the U.S., including the historic River Oaks Theatre.
Currently, Landmark Theatres, purveyor of all that is indie and foreign cinema, is controlled by 2929 Entertainment, a holding company co-owned by Texas billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and his partner Todd Wagner. (One can only imagine the compelling final pitch that Amazon would have to present to the often-prickly Shark Tank co-host, Cuban.)
Amazon is now an even bigger streaming content provider via an agreement to launch Prime Video on Comcast's Xfinity X1 — a move to counter Netflix's streaming stronghold. Of further possible brand interest to Amazon: 2929 Entertainment also runs film production house Magnolia Pictures and Magnolia Distribution.
So will Houston simply become a prime location for big-screen viewings of The Handmaid’s Tale, or will the beloved River Oaks Theatre completely re-brand under new ownership?
A spokesperson for 2929 Entertainment did not respond to CultureMap's requests for comment. But for Houstonians, this is certainly a binge-worthy story worth watching.
