Black-Owned Baltimore NextAct Cinema Closes

The NextAct Cinema was founded in 2019 by brothers Anthony Fykes and Robert Wright.

One of the only Black-owned and family-operated movie theaters in the United States closed its doors this week. NextAct Cinema shut down on Dec. 30, as reported by CBS News.

NextAct didn’t give a reason for the closure.

The theater announced on social media, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of NextAct Cinema on December 30, 2024. For the past seven years, we’ve had the privilege of bringing the magic of movies to Pikesville and creating a space where stories came to life, memories were made, and connections were built.”

The post continued, “Your unwavering support, from attending screenings to sharing laughs and celebrating milestones with us, has meant the world. NextAct Cinema was more than just a theater; it was a community, and that was only possible because of you.”

The post concluded, “While this chapter is coming to an end, we will forever cherish the incredible moments we’ve shared with each of you. Thank you for being part of our story.”

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, NextAct Cinema is a Black family-owned movie theater that opened in Baltimore in March 2019.

The theater was founded by brothers Anthony Fykes and Robert Wright and received mostly positive reviews after its opening. Wright and Fykes wanted to create an “independent boutique theater that offers a unique, personalized movie-going experience.”

NextAct Cinema works to combat a “cinema desert,” or a place lacking movie theaters. This is particularly prominent in Black communities across the country.

Fykes said then, “We didn’t want to be an AMC. We don’t want to be a Cine-Bistro. The idea behind NextAct Cinema is that you are coming to a theater that feels like your home.”