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Movie Madness will soon begin renovations at its new location on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, says an announcement issued Wednesday by the Hollywood Theatre.
The move is part of a plan to establish a Film District in the Hollywood neighborhood, a logical step for a neighborhood named for its historic movie theater. Last year, WW broke the news that the massive Portland video rental store would be moving from its Southeast Belmont Street location to a space across from the Hollywood Theatre.
“The Film District will be a one-of-a-kind destination for movie lovers from Portland and beyond,” said Doug Whyte, the Hollywood’s executive director, in a statement. “Relocating Movie Madness across the street from the Hollywood Theatre will transform the neighborhood into a center for celebrating the art of film. Already key members of the regional film ecosystem like Oregon Film, OMPA, and filmscience are moving into the Hollywood neighborhood.”
After Movie Madness founder Mike Clark retired in 2018, the theater and video store merged. Both are now owned and operated by a nonprofit called Film Forever Northwest, which purchased the former home of Blackwell’s Grub Steak Grill at below market value from Hollywood Theatre donor Jeme Brelin.
The new space will offer 40% more square footage than the Belmont location and a 45-seat state-of-the-art auditorium equipped for both digital and 16 mm projection as well as a lounge.
And, like the current Movie Madness location, the new spot will house movie memorabilia, props and costumes on loan from Clark.
“I am totally in support of Movie Madness’s new future home right across the street from the Hollywood Theatre. I feel that the legacy I created will live on, and continue to touch the lives of future generations of film lovers,” Clark said in a statement included in the Hollywood’s announcement.
The press release includes enthusiastic quotes from a number of high-profile figures in the arts and entertainment world: writers Chuck Palahniuk and Matt Fraction, filmmakers Sean Baker and Todd Haynes, and actor Michelle Williams. In case you needed another reason to love him, Pedro Pascal weighed in too, saying the new space “sounds like my dream come true.”
“The Hollywood Film District is one of the most exciting projects I’ve seen for Portland in years, building on the phenomenal growth of the landmark Hollywood Theatre and the diverse, devoted community it has attracted,” Haynes said in the statement. “This energy has expanded into a vision for an actual neighborhood devoted to lovers of film that reflects the vitality and uniqueness of this city and its people.”
Renovation of the building is expected to be complete in spring 2027. The construction project is being funded by a capital campaign launched in 2025.
