Southampton Theater Is Reportedly Sold, But Details Remain Shrouded In Mystery

After being on the market for several years and being shuttered since the start of the pandemic, the historic Southampton movie theater apparently finally has been sold.

But the details of the sale are still shrouded in mystery.

A press release by New York City-based public relations firm Great Ink Media Relations went out last week to several local media organizations, stating that the Southampton Village cinema will “reopen under new ownership” after being purchased, for an undisclosed sum, by a group called Hill Street Cinema LLC.

The release included quotes from someone identified only as “a Hill Street Cinema spokesperson,” and did not include any other details on the names of the owners behind the limited liability company, or where they are from.

A website associated with the sale and the owners consisted solely of the press release, without any additional information or features, as of earlier this week.

Current owner Ken Karlin has been outspoken in the past about his desire to sell the property as quickly as possible, to the highest bidder, and has also expressed frustration with Southampton Village officials for what he feels are attempts to stymie his ability to sell the property.

When reached by phone earlier this week, Karlin refused, multiple times, to confirm or deny that a sale agreement was in place.

Sara Williams, a representative from Great Ink who sent out the press release, also declined to offer any additional details about the sale when reached by phone earlier this week, saying she was not at liberty to discuss the deal.

Multiple queries sent to an email that was listed on the press release as the email to direct any “inquiries or suggestions” went unanswered over the course of several days.

Southampton Village residents and filmmakers Ben and Orson Cummings had, over the course of more than a year, been working on securing funding to purchase the cinema, with a detailed vision for turning it into a revamped theater and performance arts space, aiming to be a vital part of the plans for creating an arts and cultural district in the village that is a key component of the village’s comprehensive master plan update. They had done modeling and several feasibility studies related to their plans.

Orson Cummings confirmed late last week that he’d received the news that the cinema sold.

The press release that was sent last week indicates that Hill Street Cinema LLC has similar plans in the works for the space, according to the quote in the release from the unidentified Hill Street Cinema spokesperson: “The purchase was motivated by our fervent desire to preserve this essential component of Southampton Village’s culture as well as reactivating the building’s distinctive architecture, which has anchored the community’s center for many years.”