A beloved Franklin movie theater will close after next weekend.
Canary Creek Cinemas, an independently owned eight-screen movie theater and drive-in, announced through a Dec. 18 social media statement that they will permanently close on Dec. 31. The theater has been open for business in Franklin for over two decades.
“Unfortunately due to many circumstances beyond our staff members’ control, the owners have decided that Canary Creek Cinemas will be closing. … We would like to thank the community for 24 years of support,” the Facebook post read.
The theater said its two final movies over the next few weeks will be — “Wonka” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” They will be open Thursday through Saturday and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Executive Director Keri Hart, or “Canary Keri” as she is known in the theater industry, has been working for Canary Creek Cinemas for 15 years. She has loved to work at the cinema and affectionately recalled her time with former owner Mike Rembusch in an interview.
“The original owner was born and raised in the theater industry,” she said. “I was beyond blessed to be able to learn from him and get to know the industry.”
Since the closure announcement, Hart said that the theater has received a multitude of inquiries regarding whether they were selling items within the building such as seats or posters. Nothing is for sale as of now and that it will be in the hands of the current owners whether they sell these items or not, she said.
Employees were notified of the closure prior to the social media announcement, a message conveyed by Hart upon receiving notice from the current owners.
The history
Construction of the 30,000 square-foot cinemas began in 1998 by Rembusch, then president of Syndicate Theatres. The chain owned a number of historic theaters throughout Central Indiana at the time.
Rembush, who also oversaw the Historic Artcraft Theatre in downtown Franklin, expressed a need to expand the number of movies shown in the area. This expansion would add to their overall capability and create more opportunities for community members to attend the theater.
Nearby residents initially opposed the theater’s construction, as the property had to be rezoned from residential to commercial. Because of this controversy, Rembusch requested the Franklin Planning Commission postpone their rezoning decision so he could meet with neighboring residents and discuss their concerns, according to a Daily Journal report from Dec. 1997.
“I want to be a good neighbor,” Rembusch said at the time.
In a surprising move, residents began to back Rembusch’s ambition after a few construction compromises and stipulations.
The theater broke ground in April 1999 with the construction projected to cost about $3 million. Canary Creek Cinemas marked the first new theater in the city in 77 years.
Hart said that Rembusch always preached that their staff would be what brought people into their theater.
“My relationship with Mike was significant,” Hart said Thursday. “He was not only my boss; he was my mentor, my friend and my family. He became a huge part of my life.”
A drive-in portion was added to the complex in September 2004. The 30-by-60-foot screen opened the following October with a double feature — “Shrek 2” and “Spiderman 2.”
Canary Creek Cinemas continued to operate under Rembusch’s supervision until it was sold in 2020 to Mega Holdings, LLC of Indianapolis.
“It was a huge change,” Hart said. “You go from having an owner that has been in the industry to an ownership where they were never in the industry. They are business owners and they have several other businesses not in the theater industry. It was just very different and a huge learning curve. I don’t mean for any of that to come off negatively.”
“It is very sad to see this chapter closed. It will forever be one of my favorites,” she said.
The Daily Journal attempted to reach out to the registered owners of Mega Holdings but did not receive a response by press time.
Rembusch passed away from cancer in 2021. He was the third-generation movie operator in his family. His grandfather started the Alhambra Theatre in Shelbyville in 1918.
The theater also has a history of giving back to the community, offering free movie showings in the summer and holding events to help gather canned food for food pantries during the holidays.
Community reacts
The Daily Journal put out a call on social media for community members to share their memories of Canary Creek Cinemas.
Many expressed sorrow regarding the closure. People shared cherished memories that took place at the theater and lamented watching it go downhill in recent years.
Though there were once eight screens, today there are only a few open, and parts of the theater have gone into disrepair. A number of people said they were not surprised the theater was closing because of this.
With fewer screens, there have also been fewer movies to see at Canary Creek compared to the wider variety of movies playing at Greenwood and Columbus theaters. The theater is also only open part of the week, compared to before when it was open seven days a week.
Aaron Williams worked at Canary Creek Cinemas for 7.5 years, starting off as a general staff member. Throughout his tenure at the theater, he was able to witness nearly every facet of the business, he said.
His title frequently changed as he worked his way up the rankings, eventually becoming the interim general manager.
Williams built life-long relationships and deep bonds with his coworkers, he said. One of his favorite memories came during the midnight premiere of “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” in 2009.
“We sold out every seat in every theater for a midnight premiere,” Williams said. “What’s interesting is back in that time, we were still a 100% 35mm film theater. When you ordered movies, you ordered the film canisters to be able to play the movie in one theater. For bigger movies like this, you would often order two copies of the movie so that you could play it on multiple screens. So how would we play this on all eight of the screens at once?”
Williams credited Rembusch with coming up with an “ingenious” design, which allowed the theater to run one strand of film through all eight of their projectors.
“It was one of the coolest things to see as we had all eight screens showing the same movie with one copy of the film,” he said. “It is a risky endeavor because if you have one hiccup, you end up losing all eight screens at once, but we pulled it off and with well over 1,000 people total in all of the screens. It was unique because it was only one of two times that I can recall selling out all eight screens at Canary Creek.”
The interlocking process was quite complex. They had to weave one reel of film through all eight projectors and motors. It was extra tricky because each of the motor’s framerate slightly varied, so they had to dedicate additional film roller-guides on poles to keep the film tight and reduce slack between the motors, Williams said.
“There was a delay between one theatre to the next and you could walk through the projection booth and see the same scene eight different times across all of the theaters,” he said.
Douglas Weddle, the former owner and operator of Deer Valley Golf Course in Franklin, fondly recalled a beneficial relationship with Rembusch.
He said that he stuck a deal with Rembusch during the debut of the drive-in portion of the theater complex. Rembusch needed a golf cart for various reasons including moving trash cans and transporting moviegoers who required assistance to and from the restrooms.
“I would loan him a golf cart for the time he needed and he would give Deer Valley an advertising spot on the screen,” Weddle said.” Our arrangement worked out great for the both of us for many years. I have memories of people that would come to play golf and tell us they had seen our advertisement on the screen at Canary Creek.”
Community member Dereck Mobley’s Canary Creek memories span multiple generations. He had frequented the movies with his grandmother and was able to share experiences there with his children.
One special memory stood out in particular to Mobley around 2002.
“My first kiss took place in the parking lot after a movie,” Mobley said. “I can’t remember the movie we watched, but I can remember the feeling that accompanies a memory like that one.”
He said that the closure made him sad but he was thankful for the memories Canary Creek Cinemas provided him.
Local Jonathon McTarsney recalled the unique events the theater would host during the holiday season.
“Around 2015 to 2016, they did Christmas movies for canned goods,” McTarsney said. “You had to bring one canned good for each person and it acted as a movie ticket. My family and I went to see ‘Jingle All the Way’ together and it is one of the best memories I have with my late grandma. I’ll never forget that day.”
Glory Johnson worked at the theater for seven years. She recalled Rembusch’s leadership style and the lessons he instilled in the theater’s staff.
“Mike Rembusch strived to teach his employees to make the movie experience extra special for all of the patrons,” Johnson said. “He used the word ‘patrons’ as opposed to customers. That job set me up for life. Mike expected a lot of his staff, but in a good way. He taught us all how to be phenomenal employees while also creating a family atmosphere that made his staff want to be in the theater all the time.
“Canary Creek is where I felt the most loved and where I could be completely myself.”
Johnson mentioned that some of the cinemas’ magic was lost when they ceased playing movies on film and converted to digital.
Residents have until Dec. 31 to experience Canary Creek one last time before the end. A list of show times can be found on theater’s website.
“Enjoy some popcorn,” Hart said. “We have the best popcorn ever.”
