The walk to the theater. The glow of the marquee. The hum of a crowd. These were all part of a moviegoing ritual for generations of UCLA students until two years ago.

That ritual has become less familiar in Westwood as several longtime cinemas have closed. The Bruin Theater’s return arrives as the neighborhood’s once-thriving moviegoing culture has dwindled, following the 2024 closures of the Bruin and Fox Westwood Village Theater. But recent investments are bringing renewed activity to Westwood’s movie scene. The expected October reopening of the Bruin will bring another historic theater back to UCLA, following the temporary summer return of the Fox – now known as Directors Village.

[Related: Directors Village theater draws crowds for ‘The Odyssey’ ahead of 2027 reopening]

For students like Leeann Remiker, a rising fourth-year art history student who started at UCLA before the theaters closed, the Bruin’s permanent reopening marks the revival of a moviegoing experience from when they arrived at UCLA.

“I thought back to my freshman self and the excitement that she had to have not only one theater in the neighborhood but three: the Landmark, Fox and Bruin Theater,” said Remiker, the vice president of Bruin Film Society. “We would just go in a squad and walk down from the Hill. … I think of the incoming Bruins who will have that same experience.”

UCLA Film & Television Archive director May Hong HaDuong said movie theaters provide a place for audience members to enter a space focused on art and encounter new perspectives.

“When a movie theater goes away in a community, the ways people talk about art and the ways people connect with each other change,” HaDuong added. “When a movie theater dies, you lose not just the connection to the community, but you also lose the cultural workers who are part of presenting that.”

Theaters that promote both first-run releases and archival material help expose audiences to film history, she said. For students especially, HaDuong added, spaces that bridge contemporary and classic cinema offer a unique point of connection.

[Related: Bruin Theater to reopen in the fall after 2-year wait]

The Bruin Theater’s new operator, Canadian exhibitor Rui Pereira, plans to show first-run and classic films, including 35mm and 70mm presentations, while retaining elements of the theater’s historic character, according to Variety. Benjamin Steinberg, the Bruin Theater’s head of marketing and studio relations and projectionist, said the Bruin Theater is one of the most iconic theaters in Los Angeles. He added that the theater, which opened in 1937, has hosted hundreds of movie premieres and been featured across film and television, including appearances in “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” and HBO’s “The Shards.”

Movie palaces like the Bruin Theater are no longer being built, Steinberg said.

“A lot of the UCLA students probably have never been to a historic movie palace,” Steinberg said. “It’s definitely more of a rare opportunity for UCLA students to watch different types of movies, not just the ones playing at the multiplex.”

He added that the theater plans to show new releases Friday through Sunday while showing more classic, older films from Monday through Thursday. While the official schedule has not been set, Steinberg said they hope to host movie premieres and private rentals for “for your consideration” events.

Historic theaters pay close attention to the aspect ratio and sound quality of films, he said. HaDuong added that the ability for theaters to show film on a 35mm or 70mm screen helps viewers connect with an artist’s creative imagination. It’s the curation and unique format that will prompt people to leave the house to experience something they can’t at home, HaDuong said.

[Related: UCLA TFT, Sundance partnership aims to teach filmmaking beyond the classroom]

In addition to the curatorial care that goes into showings at smaller artistic theaters, Remiker said these venues bring people of different ages and backgrounds together. She added that while the cost of movie tickets has increased after the COVID-19 pandemic, she finds that the cost is worth the experience of seeing something in a shared environment.

“There is this yearning for a collective experience,” Remiker said. “All of that will come together to help reintroduce the Bruin Theater into the UCLA culture.”

The rising fourth-year student added that the chance to attend premieres is one of theater’s main draws for students. She said her mom, a UCLA alumnus, recalled attending the “Eyes Wide Shut” premiere as a student and seeing Tom Cruise. During her freshman year, Remiker said, she walked by as people were setting up for the premiere of The Crown season 5.

The theater’s proximity to students’ dorms and apartments allows these behind-the-scenes moments to be accessible to students at a time when Gen-Z in particular is expressing a new interest in filmgoing, she added.

“It’s so nice, also, to have it in the Westwood community now, because for the last couple of years, we’ve been going out to Century City to the AMC to see films,” Remiker said. “It’s so nice to have it back.”