It’s the end of an era for Cinémas Guzzo — or at least for now. The popular Quebec movie theatre chain announced on social media Friday that all seven of its remaining locations will be “temporarily closing.”
“Dear Clients, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are temporarily closing our cinemas,” the company’s latest Instagram post reads. “We thank you for your loyalty over the years and look forward to welcoming you back soon.”
The message, though brief, comes in the wake of a Quebec Superior Court ruling earlier this week that ordered the full closure and sale of all the company’s theatres.
Court documents reveal that Guzzo theatres have been struggling for years. Although the chain, which had 10 movie complexes up until December 2024, generated some revenue, it wasn’t enough to cover its operational costs.
Cinémas Guzzo was started by Angelo Guzzo in 1974, shortly after he immigrated to Canada. Guzzo’s son Vincenzo, aka Mr. Sunshine, has been president of the company since 2018.
Court documents reveal that Guzzo theatres have racked up over $2 million in unpaid rent and expenses. The financial situation worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and never fully recovered. Vincenzo, the company’s CEO, has personally injected millions of dollars to keep the business running. He was highly critical of strict government policies that kept theatres closed throughout 2020 and 2021 as COVID-19 cases mounted.
Now, with declining attendance and no support from creditors, there appears to no viable path forward.
The court ruled that closing the theatres and selling the assets was the best way to pay back creditors, including CIBC and other financial institutions. In November 2024, CIBC asked the court to declare Cinémas Guzzo bankrupt under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act due to Cinémas Guzzo’s financial problems, which included unpaid loans and property taxes.
The trustee is currently seeking potential buyers, with priority given to those in the film industry. Investors have until February 21 to express interest in the chain.
Until then, moviegoers will have to look elsewhere for their popcorn-and-blockbuster fix.
Love this? Check out our MTL Blog noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog’s Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
