BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK, CHRIS GARDNER | HollywoodReporter.Com

Troy Warren for LosAngelesNewsAndTalk.Com #Entertainment

The deal expands the streamer’s ability to screen its movies on the big screen during awards season.

Netflix and Los Angeles shopping mall developer Caruso announced Friday that the two have partnered to keep the legendary Bay Theater in the tony Palisades Village open.

The lease expands the streamer’s ability to screen its movies on the big screen during awards season while helping another struggling cinema to stay open. Netflix already operates the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and New York’s iconic Paris Theatre.

Prior to the pandemic, luxury theater operator Cinepolis had refurbished and operated the Bay, which was dark for four decades before reopening for business in 2018. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, it once again shut down, but in recent weeks, signage was removed from the theater signaling that change was afoot.

The Bay will give Netflix a prime berth on the Westside, home to numerous award denizens. The venue is a convenient destination for residents of the Palisades, Santa Monica and Malibu.

The cinema will reopen on Oct. 22. First offerings will include original Netflix movie The Harder They Fall, directed by Jaymes Samuel and starring Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole, Regina King and Idris Elba, as well as free screenings of two family-favorite animated films, Vivo and The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

Netflix plans to use the theater for special events, screenings of beloved classic films theatrical releases of its films.

“The Bay is one of those rare places that’s modern but also feels like a throwback experience of your local main street cinema,” Scott Stuber, head of global films at Netflix said in a statement. “Together with Caruso, we’re excited to welcome movie lovers back to Palisades Village and join the local community.”

“We are proud to welcome Netflix to Palisades Village and offer our guests access to their exceptional programming,” said Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso. “We take great pride in our pioneering approach to retail and hospitality and have found the perfect partner in Netflix, who share our passion for innovation. The coming together of two companies at the forefront of their industries will allow for a first-of-its-kind environment that will bring magic back to the movie-going experience.”

The Bay Theater at Palisades Village first opened in 2018 as an homage to its historic 1940s namesake. The multiplex features five ultra-lux, customized screening rooms, reclining seats, in-theater food, a lobby bar and cutting-edge sound and projection technology. The move to revive the theater came to Caruso out of one of the many community town halls his team conducted during the development process of the Palisades Village hub. “In the Palisades, they didn’t want to have to go to Santa Monica to see movies anymore, and they wanted their kids to be able to go by themselves,” Caruso told THR.

Caruso’s Palisades Village is a centerpiece within the California coastal community, with more than 40 highly curated boutiques and eateries, a grocer, luxury residences and an expansive park.

During the first few weeks after the Bay opens, free popcorn and beverages will be served at all shows.