Group which operates Revue Cinema obtains court injunction to stay open

The Revue Cinema will remain open after a court granted the non-profit group running the establishment an injunction Friday, halting a planned eviction next week.

The order will prevent the landlords of Toronto's oldest operating movie theatre from interfering with the Revue Film Society's operations until a trial. As a result, the group said normal operations will continue until further notice.

"It's a huge breath of relief for management, for staff, and for our patrons," Revue Film Society Chair Grant Oyston told CP24 Friday evening.

"So just having an injunction, even until a trial date to be set at some point in the future gives us the opportunity to continue to serve our patrons over the coming days."

The Revue Cinema on Roncesvalles Avenue, is pictured in this image from September 2019. (Joshua Freeman /CP24)

The Revue Film Society sought an injunction after their landlord refused to renew a lease set to expire next week.

Oyston said that the group, which operates the historical independent Revue Cinema on Roncesvalles Avenue, was suddenly informed Wednesday that its lease wouldn't be renewed when an agent of the landlord showed up there.

"He showed up during a sold-out screening of 'The Matrix,' and he said, 'Folks, you're all out of here as of July 1,'" Oyston said.

"He expressed he doesn't want to renew our lease, and he wants us out of the building, and he's planning to take it private."

However, the landlord is looking to keep some of the staff who run the theatre as he seeks to take over its operation.

"So it's essentially a hostile takeover attempt, where he wants us to transition all of our staff, all the resources and the goodwill we've built up over 17 years," Oyston said. "We have no confidence he's able to do this as a 96-year-old with no experience."

Oyston added that the group had reason to believe that that they were entitled to a renewal based on their conversations with the landlord over the past months.

"In terms of the impact on the community and the ecosystem of Canadian film, it's devastating if we were to lose it," Oyston said.

The theatre space has been owned by Danny and Leticia Mullin, who bought it 17 years ago after the theatre chain which previously owned it went bankrupt.

Danny Mullin, who owns the Revue Cinema, says he wants to take the historical Roncesvalles movie theatre private.

Speaking with CTV News Toronto, Danny Mullin said the lease stipulates that the tenant will be responsible for all upkeep, maintenance and repair and that it should be completed in a timely manner.

However, he said that hasn't happened.

"Every time we sign the lease, they say 'we're going to do all this work.' They never do nothing," Mullin said. "And then when I say 'what happened?' — 'Well, that was the old directors, now we have new directors.'”

He said he's not sure why the society should stay on as the operators of the theatre if they don't do the repairs.

"We want to get rid of the board, bring it back to private sector. It's very simple," Mullin said. "Why do we need the board? They've never done nothing. Every time we sign a new lease, they never fulfill the lease. They're supposed to do work, do the seats; they never do nothing."

The Revue Film Society has operated the theatre as a non-profit organization since Mullin and his wife bought it. Much of the equipment in the theatre belongs to the group.

"So we've made significant investments in things like a digital projector, which is a sizable and expensive piece of equipment, the sound system, a lot of the point of sale systems," Oyston said.

The owners of the Revue Cinema say the building is in need of repairs which have not been carried out.

That equipment would be moved out if the group is booted.

Oyston said the society agreed last year to a nearly 50 per cent rent increase to renew their lease, which expires at the end of June. That would bring their monthly rent to $15,000 a month, but the landlord hasn't taken the cheques and Oyston said there has been "radio silence" since they agreed to the increase.  

Leticia Mullin pointed out that she and Danny have only raised the rent by $3,200 over the past 17 years.

The owners of the Revue Cinema say the building is in need of repairs which have not been carried out.

Oyston said that his group has been pushing for an early lease renewal since September since they wanted to move ahead with renovations to the façade of the building, which has heritage designation.

While local representatives have been supportive, Oyston said the dispute is "ultimately a private matter between the landlord and a tenant."

With files from CP24 Reporter Jamie Gutreund and CTV Toronto Reporter Janice Golding