The Heights Theater in Columbia Heights will change ownership in early 2026, ending a 27-year run under owner Tom Letness.
In a Facebook announcement, the theater said it will be acquired by Brody Sheldon and the Schopf family, who own and operate the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. They are partnering with Minnesota native Ryan Oestreich in the purchase.
The Heights plans to close after its annual New Year’s Day screening of “Holiday Inn.” It will reopen Jan. 9 with a showing of Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother.” According to the announcement, reopening events will also include a Robert Redford retrospective and the theater’s 17th Film Noir festival in partnership with Trylon Cinema.
“The Heights has always been about celebrating great films with great people,” Letness said. “I’m thrilled to pass it on to Music Box Theatre, whose passion for cinema and commitment to presentation match what I’ve built here.”
The theater said it will continue film presentations in 35 mm, 70 mm and digital formats, and that current staff will remain. Planned additions include Friday and Saturday late-night screenings, a Kids’ Saturday Morning Cinema series and a silent cinema series accompanied by a Wurlitzer organ.
“Music Box Theatre is honored to continue the legacy Tom cultivated,” Oestreich said. “We share his belief that the movie theatre is a sacred space for discovery, laughter, and community, and we’re excited to bring even more film experiences to the Twin Cities.”