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Trying to reopen our small theater only a 2 screen theater. Last owners took everything. I really have no knowledge of running a theater but wanna give it a shot. Can anyone help me with the basics of the things i will need having a hard time trying to find what kind of projector and somewhere to get screens. Im looking to maybe rent or lease the projectors right now if that is even possible. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you

You're probably going to have to buy digital projectors at $50,000 plus each. Most any theatre supply company can give you info on the projectors, screens and seats or just about anything else you need. The guys here on these forums can tell you which projectors they think are best. I personally think you can get by for the next year plus with some good, used, inexpensive 35mm equipment but a lot of the guys here won't agree with me.

Why would anyone spend all the money top install 35 mm, incur all the costs for hooking it up, suffer as they cannot get prints to show, and all for perhaps a year? Do not bother. It's not an opinion: it's reality. By next summer the 35mm print count will be a joke. If you cannot afford to do it right, even with used equipment, then do not even think of doing it. Keep your day job or you'll simply be sorry.

Told ya. But Mike makes a good point.

after a re-read I realized that anyone who cannot find a film equip supplier is probably in the 99.99999999% of dreamers with no idea or capability to proceed with their dream. Guess what: this is business. It take money to make money. There is no rainbow unicorn option. Want to reopen a 2 screen? Do you have a minimum of 200K to 300K to invest? YES OR NO? If NO then forget about it.

Man, I'm usually the odd man out where these things are concerned, but I'd never say either "go for it" or "forget it" without knowing a little more.

So, when you say the old owners "took everything," do you mean that quite literally? Is there nothing left (seats, screens, sound, etc.)that you can use? A lot depends on how much you'd need to bring in, really.

If it makes you feel any better, though, a good half of the folks here gave me a answers a lot like the one Mike has given you when I first showed up and asked the same types of questions. These folks knew their business, so I took their advice seriously. But I also understood that knowing a given business doesn't mean you know every situation. They didn't know where I was financially, where my theater was located or what I could bring to the party, so to speak. Those are the things you have to consider when you get into any business.

The one thing I'd offer up, though, is that the simple act of running a movie theater isn't complicated. The nuts and bolts of it are surprisingly easy. But it does take a lot of sweat and dedication to make it work. And it helps if you have a good, solid vision for what you're doing and a knack for knowing what will go over with an audience.

I like JP answer as a great book end to mine.