The closure of the Soo Theatre is permanent.

"The closure, that has been indefinite to this point while we assess some things, is going to move to be a permanent closure," according to Bill Walker, CEO of Landmark Cinemas, who contacted Discover Weyburn this morning to give an update on the theatre.

The Weyburn movie theatre has been closed since the end of November. The heating and cooling system, flooring and roof are some of the aspects in need of repair.

As Weyburn's lone movie theatre, residents have been concerned about its closure. There have been petitions on social media to save the theatre and offers from Weyburn businesses to repair the facility.

"We own the building and we went through the process of sort of assessing what the cost and what the investment required to turn that theatre back around and what it would need to be," explained Walker. "Ultimately we're just not able to justify that investment and so at this point we're going to move to make that a permanent closure and we'll be putting the asset up for sale or potentially the asset will need to be demolished."

Walker said they are sympathetic to the community and how the owners, Kinepolis, are reluctant to take away a cinema from any community.

"Ultimately, as you can all appreciate, it's not a charitable venture either."

"We hate to see a cinema go away from our company and from a community that has embraced the cinema for so long but its just the reality of some of these buildings and it wasn't an investment we were able to justify into that asset."

There has been interest by Weyburn residents to buy the theatre from Landmark Cinemas. Walker said that inquiries to purchase the movie theatre can be made directly to Landmark Cinemas and they will be hiring a broker to sell the building.

"We have done it before where we've helped a local entrepreneur."

Walker mentioned an entrepreneur in a community in Alberta wanted to take on the local theatre that Landmark closed.

"We would be all-in to help someone through that process if someone was really, really keen to try and re-open that theatre as an entrepreneurial adventure. The economics sometimes for a local entrepreneur can be different than what it is for us as an organization and the way we structure things."

Walker said there is a major capital investment and work required to the current building, however, the city is not considered by Landmark Cinemas to be big enough to make a new theatre building possible.

"Generally, we are looking at larger urban markets where there's still opportunities for new cinemas but that's not to say that a more entrepreneurial adventure from a different operator couldn't make a go of it in that community."

Unless someone does buy the theatre, Weyburn residents will be forced to leave town for the movie theatre experience.