It's a sad day for film lovers in Houston. On Saturday, February 7, Alamo Drafthouse announced they would close the LaCenterra location in Katy, ending the chain's tenure in the city.

"Our franchise partner Triple Tap Ventures, which operates four locations in Texas (Houston, El Paso, East El Paso, and Lubbock), will no longer operate these theaters under the Alamo Drafthouse brand," the company said in a statement. "We’re grateful to the teammates and guests in El Paso, Katy, and Lubbock for their support over the years and wish them all the best. We hope to return to these communities in the future."

Founded in 1997 in Austin, Alamo Drafthouse became a leading name in cinemas thanks to their pioneering restaurant format, unique programming, hybrid live events, and dedication to indie films. The chain expanded to Houston in 2003, opening a location in the West Oaks Mall. The LaCenterra location followed in 2018.

In 2024, Sony Pictures acquired the chain amid closures and bankruptcies all over Texas. It was part of a slew of studio-owned cinemas that sprang up after the fall of the Paramount Consent Decrees in 2020, but it appears even Sony's support was not enough to save the Houston cinema.

The good news is that the theater will be reopening. Rob Saucedo, former head of programming who now operates the River Oaks Theatre in much the same way he did Alamo, posted a bittersweet statement to Facebook after the closure was announced.

"It feels weird for these theaters I spent so much time and energy into building a community around to suddenly close," he writes. "It’s a reminder that nothing is permanent. The locations will be reopened soon under a new brand and folks will still be able to see movies there. Graveyard Shift, the weekly horror series I created, will be dead though. So will so many other practices I built, big and small."

Alamo Drafthouses across Texas remain open, including in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.