News: Clay Theater set to reopen

[Andrea Jesse]

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/clay-theatre-movie-landmark-san-francisco-20374687.php

Major changes coming to 112-year-old movie landmark in San Francisco

By Amanda Bartlett,Assistant Local EditorJune 16, 2025

After five years of sitting dark and empty, one of San Francisco’s oldest movie houses may live to see its iconic crimson neon lights shine through the fog once again. Dating back to at least 1913 when the nickelodeon-style cinema was known as the Regent, the Clay Theatre on Fillmore Street boasts a storied history. The single-screen hosted some of San Francisco’s most memorable midnight screenings, including showings of John Waters’ famously filthy cult classic “Pink Flamingos” following its 1972 premiere.

The 380-seat space was the city’s first dedicated foreign film theater. It was visited by the likes of beatnik legend William Burroughs, horror filmmaker Takashi Miike (“Audition”) and Pixar actors Dave Foley (“A Bug’s Life”) and Janeane Garofalo (“Ratatouille.”) But perhaps most notable was its reputation for celebrating low-budget repertory staples. The Clay went on to become a destination for hundreds of up-all-night moviegoers each month with its audience participation-friendly screenings of Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which celebrates its 50-year anniversary this year and became the last movie the theater would ever show.

Or so the city thought. On Tuesday, the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, a nonprofit backed by divisive venture capitalist Neil Mehta, announced plans to kick off the “full rehabilitation” of the theater after submitting project plans to the city later this year, with a yet-to-be-announced reopening date. The news release noted that the theater requires an “extensive” overhaul, “but will maintain its landmark features and historic character,” and upon completion, the 5,000-square-foot space is slated to include 200 seats and host more than 500 screenings per year with 35mm and 4K digital projection capabilities. 

“Our approach to this storied theater is emblematic of our broader vision,” Cody Allen, the director of the project, said in a news release. “We aim to support unique and experiential small business entrepreneurs who will bring something new and special to the neighborhood we live in and love.”

The theater closed back in January of 2020 after its owner and operator since 1991, Landmark, confirmed it had been steadily losing money for at least six years, and suddenly gave a 30-day notice on its month-to-month lease. The fate of the building hung in the balance until 2022, when the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to designate it as a landmark, but it was still unclear whether it would operate as a movie house again. The San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historic theaters such as the Roxie, Balboa, Vogue, Opera Plaza and Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, offered to pony up $3.5 million for the space. They were ultimately turned down by landlord Balgobind Jaiswal, and the search continued until 2024, when a so-called “mystery buyer” snatched up the space and the adjacent building for $11 million.

That turned out to be Mehta, the managing partner of Greenoaks Capital and a resident of the neighborhood, who has since acquired a handful of historic properties along the bustling dining and shopping corridor. The buying spree left some longtime store owners concerned about the future of their businesses, with former Supervisor Aaron Peskin initially accusing Mehta of a “hostile takeover” of the neighborhood as he sought protection plans for the legacy businesses in the area.  

La Mediterranee, an enduring fixture of Pacific Heights, dodged a near-closure last August after it initially wasn’t offered a lease renewal, and it will be around for at least another four years. But neighborhood mainstay Ten-Ichi, nearby restaurant Noosh, a longtime Starbucks and women’s clothing boutique Alice + Olivia toppled one by one while other storefronts now owned by Mehta remain empty. 

Still, plans for the Clay seem optimistic. At the helm of the new era for the theater is Ted Gerike, a former director of digital content at Metrograph, who founded the buzzy Los Angeles microcinema and bookstore Now Instant. That theater has recently shown ’80s punk sci-fi comedy “Repo Man,” rare archival 16mm prints preserved by a Japanese Palestine solidarity group between the ’60s and ’80s as part of its series “Tokyo Reels,” and a double feature showcasing the work of trailblazing filmmaker Jessie Maple, whose 1981 film “Will” was among the first to be directed, produced and written by a Black woman. 

At the Clay, Gerike plans to program a mix of first-run premieres and repertory classics with filmmaker talks. The sheer scale of planned programming would be a welcome addition for film buffs still nostalgic for the days of the triple features at the Castro Theatre, which reportedly plans to commit to just 75 days of annual film programming after its delayed reopening, scheduled at the end of the year. Architectural firm Page & Turnbull, which oversaw the Castro’s renovation, will also be leading efforts on the Clay alongside design studio Perron-Roettinger, the San Francisco-based Min Design and global engineering and design firm Arup.

“At its best, cinema transports us—across borders, disciplines, and perspectives—and I look forward to curating experiences at The Clay that reflect that expansive potential,” Gerike said in the news release. “I envision The Clay as both a home for local voices and a bridge connecting San Francisco to the wider world of cinema and ideas.”

Patti Mangan, executive director of the Fillmore Merchants Association, said she was thrilled to hear the news of the Clay’s potential return, noting its absence has “left a real hole in the heart” of the neighborhood. In the news release, the association said its comeback would be “more than the reopening of a beloved movie house—it’s the revival of a cultural cornerstone that has shaped the soul of Pacific Heights for generations.”

“I know it’s going to take time,” Mangan told SFGATE over the phone on Wednesday, “but if it were to open by the summer of 2027, that would be amazing. There’s been a quietness at the top of the street there.” 

District Supervisor Stephen Sherrill echoed her excitement.

“The Clay Theatre is a beloved cultural resource and community gathering place,” he said. “I’m ecstatic that this cherished landmark will remain a theater and cinematic centerpiece. I look forward to its reopening and lively programming for the community to enjoy.” 

Amanda Bartlett is an award-winning assistant local editor for SFGATE covering culture, history, science and breaking news. Prior to joining the newsroom in 2019, she worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival. Outside of writing, she has presented repertory movies with Cinema SF and the California Film Institute, and appeared on the Midnight Mass and Western Neighborhoods Project podcasts. She lives in Oakland with her rabbit, Cheeto. Send her an email at amanda....@sfgate.com.