This historic theatre sits in the heart of a booming city. It's been closed for more than a decade
Those of a different generation think of lining up to get into a nightclub, booming music and watching footy games on the 'biggest screen in Parramatta'.
Whether it was known as a cinema or for Friday drinks, the Roxy holds an important space in the memories of many who grew up in Sydney. But for Parramatta's youngest residents, the heritage-listed theatre is known as one thing: the empty building on George Street with locks on its doors.
For more than a decade, the now-95-year-old theatre has remained shuttered and in a state of disrepair, in stark contrast to the buzz of action taking place around it. Running alongside the venue by 2032 will be the Civic Link, a $21 million pedestrianised boulevard that will connect Parramatta Square and the river.
To its right sits the future Parramatta metro station, a 'once-in-a-generation' project that recently received concept approval for four high-rise buildings on top of the station itself. It's also due to open by 2032.
But instead of the transport project being an opportunity to revitalise the Roxy Theatre, the building's owner believes Sydney Metro is the reason the theatre has been stuck in limbo.
In May, K Capital Group's David Kingston, who owns the theatre, began legal action against Sydney Metro, accusing it of blocking access to the Roxy site, preventing restoration. 'Without access, Metro has sterilised the Roxy and prevented its renovation and reopening,' Kingston told The Daily Telegraph.
The statement of claim, lodged in the NSW Supreme Court, comes after Kingston submitted a development application to City of Parramatta Council in 2024 to transform the theatre into a nightlife, restaurant and bar precinct. It was refused in February this year, partly because Sydney Metro denied access to the land surrounding the Roxy, which was compulsorily acquired in 2019. Kingston declined to comment on the legal proceedings.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
18 hours ago
- Perth Now
‘It's unlike anything I've ever done before': Mark Hamill teases ‘sadistic' villain in The Long Walk
Mark Hamill has said his role as the Major in The Long Walk is 'unlike anything [he's] ever done before'. The 73-year-old actor stars as the antagonist in the upcoming movie adaptation of Stephen King's 1979 horror novel of the same name, and Hamill has now reflected on his 'sadistic' character. During an interview with Discussing Film, the Star Wars actor said: 'Well, he's amoral. I mean, for you to be able to do what he does … he's got to be some kind of sociopath. 'There's no sort of backstory for him, but you know he's a really troubled person. And sadistic and … just all those terrible things.' Hamill added The Long Walk was completely different to his other recent projects, like the Tom Hiddleston-starring fantasy film The Life of Chuck and the upcoming animated flick The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. He continued: 'It's unlike anything I've ever done before and that's what I like. It's like Life of Chuck, which is aeons away from what I do in this. 'And then I'm doing a voice in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. I love that title, [it] sounds like it's important, but it's the same glorified nonsense that we've come to expect.' In The Long Walk, 100 teenage boys are forced to participate in a relentless walking contest where falling below a set pace means death. As the gruelling journey unfolds, the competitors face both physical torment and psychological collapse in a fight for survival. The movie - which was co-produced and directed by Francis Lawrence and written by J.T. Mollner - stars Cooper Hoffman, Ben Wang and Charlie Plummer, and is slated to hit screens on September 12, 2025. Hamill's Major is the military commander who oversees the walk, and the actor said he was drawn to the role after spending his teenage years in Japan, where his school was next to a U.S. military base. The Batman: The Animated Series star told Variety: 'I said, 'I know who this guy is: I've seen him firsthand'. I'd walk across the parking lot, seeing the officers putting these guys through their paces in blazing hot sun, and they were just brutal. Like if you vomit, they force you to eat it. It's horrible.' Reflecting on The Long Walk, Hamill said he hopes 'everyone will hate [his] guts' due to his portrayal as the Major. He told abc's On The Red Carpet: 'The premise is horrific and off-putting. But the real heart and soul is the story of these young guys and what they experience during the long walk. 'I'm just a bad a**. If I do my job right, everyone will hate my guts, that's okay.' Hamill's co-star Garrett Wareing - who portrays teen Stebbins in The Long Walk - warned the weight of the movie's emotional story would hit audiences hard. He said: 'It's freaky-gets me in my gut every time. That feeling doesn't leave you.'
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
George Lucas brings the force to Comic-Con in historic first visit
Comic-Con fans pulled out their lightsabers Sunday to welcome "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to the prominent pop culture convention for the very first time. Attendees lined up for hours to grab a seat inside the 6,500-person capacity venue in San Diego, California to see the legendary filmmaker behind the "Indiana Jones" franchise speak at the event on its final day. Comic-Con, which draws some 130,000 attendees, has become an important platform for movie studios and their stars to showcase the latest film and television offerings, especially those with a genre fan base. "We've been waiting five decades for this!" said panel moderator Queen Latifah, who oversaw the discussion by Lucas and other filmmakers. Instead of discussing his film works, however, Lucas graced the convention to preview the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art -- opening in Los Angeles in 2026 -- which the director co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. "I've been collecting art since I was in college," Lucas, 81, told the crowd, adding that he has amassed tens of thousands of pieces in his collection. "I've been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that what am I going to do with it all because I, I refuse to sell it. "I could never do that, it's just, it's not what I think art is -- I think it's more about an emotional connection," the director said. In his description of the museum, Lucas said the institution will feature a blend of works. They include illustrations by Normal Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N.C. Wyeth; artworks by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; and pieces by cartoonists and artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. "This is sort of a temple to the people's art," he said in summation. The museum, housed in a sleek, curved building, will also feature items from Lucas's films and other exclusive pieces. For the "Star Wars" mastermind, the museum aims to be a tribute to the importance of narrative art. "When you're born, the baseline is fear. And as you go through life, you're curious about things, but you're especially curious about things you don't understand, and therefore that's a threat to you. "And as a result, you make up stories to make it feel good," he continued. "Science fiction is a myth... but we've made it real because of science fiction books and art." - 'A critical moment' - Among the other members of the panel were Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, who shaped the aesthetic of the "Star Wars" universe for decades. "What's remarkable about George is that he leads from the heart, and this museum is him," Chiang said. Del Toro, who will release his latest film "Frankenstein" in November, said many of the museum's pieces will celebrate freedom of speech. "We are in a critical moment in which one of the things they like to disappear is the past, you know, and this is memorializing a popular, vociferous, expressive and eloquent moment in our visual past that belongs to all of us," Del Toro said. The fantasy filmmaker also described comics as a medium with "a lot of social conscience" and joked that comic artists "were the first one to punch a Nazi" in their works. "What a panel!" said attendee Jesse Goldwater, who traveled to San Diego from Los Angeles. "They are the embodiment of Comic-Con itself, without them Comic-Con wouldn't exist."
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
George Lucas previews Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas has appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to preview his upcoming museum, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will open in Los Angeles in 2026. Attendees shouted "Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!" and clapped their hands in anticipation of the legendary director's arrival, and gave the 81-year-old Lucas a standing ovation as he took his seat. "The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to illustrated storytelling across time, cultures, and media," a press release from the museum said. The four-hectare campus, in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, will include a green space and a 27,870-square-metre building with galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, cafe, and retail and community spaces. Some of its collection will include art from comic book artist Jack Kirby, painter Norman Rockwell and illustrator Kadir Nelson, as well as a Lucas archive with models, props, concept art and costumes. "I love all art, no matter what it is," Lucas said after showing a video that gave a sneak peek at the museum. The video included renderings of the museum interior and exterior, as well as the museum's broad range of art ranging from more traditional fine art and comic book strips to Star Wars sculptures and installations. Lucas began the panel recalling his days as a college student struggling to pursue his dream of becoming an art collector due to the steep cost of fine art. But the filmmaker found an affordable exception with comic books, sold cheaply in "underground" markets. Now, rather than selling art he collected over around 50 years, Lucas said he prefers to create what he calls a "temple to the people's art." Lucas kept the conversation focused on the museum and did not discuss Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas has appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to preview his upcoming museum, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will open in Los Angeles in 2026. Attendees shouted "Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!" and clapped their hands in anticipation of the legendary director's arrival, and gave the 81-year-old Lucas a standing ovation as he took his seat. "The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to illustrated storytelling across time, cultures, and media," a press release from the museum said. The four-hectare campus, in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, will include a green space and a 27,870-square-metre building with galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, cafe, and retail and community spaces. Some of its collection will include art from comic book artist Jack Kirby, painter Norman Rockwell and illustrator Kadir Nelson, as well as a Lucas archive with models, props, concept art and costumes. "I love all art, no matter what it is," Lucas said after showing a video that gave a sneak peek at the museum. The video included renderings of the museum interior and exterior, as well as the museum's broad range of art ranging from more traditional fine art and comic book strips to Star Wars sculptures and installations. Lucas began the panel recalling his days as a college student struggling to pursue his dream of becoming an art collector due to the steep cost of fine art. But the filmmaker found an affordable exception with comic books, sold cheaply in "underground" markets. Now, rather than selling art he collected over around 50 years, Lucas said he prefers to create what he calls a "temple to the people's art." Lucas kept the conversation focused on the museum and did not discuss Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas has appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to preview his upcoming museum, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will open in Los Angeles in 2026. Attendees shouted "Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!" and clapped their hands in anticipation of the legendary director's arrival, and gave the 81-year-old Lucas a standing ovation as he took his seat. "The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to illustrated storytelling across time, cultures, and media," a press release from the museum said. The four-hectare campus, in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, will include a green space and a 27,870-square-metre building with galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, cafe, and retail and community spaces. Some of its collection will include art from comic book artist Jack Kirby, painter Norman Rockwell and illustrator Kadir Nelson, as well as a Lucas archive with models, props, concept art and costumes. "I love all art, no matter what it is," Lucas said after showing a video that gave a sneak peek at the museum. The video included renderings of the museum interior and exterior, as well as the museum's broad range of art ranging from more traditional fine art and comic book strips to Star Wars sculptures and installations. Lucas began the panel recalling his days as a college student struggling to pursue his dream of becoming an art collector due to the steep cost of fine art. But the filmmaker found an affordable exception with comic books, sold cheaply in "underground" markets. Now, rather than selling art he collected over around 50 years, Lucas said he prefers to create what he calls a "temple to the people's art." Lucas kept the conversation focused on the museum and did not discuss Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas has appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to preview his upcoming museum, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will open in Los Angeles in 2026. Attendees shouted "Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!" and clapped their hands in anticipation of the legendary director's arrival, and gave the 81-year-old Lucas a standing ovation as he took his seat. "The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to illustrated storytelling across time, cultures, and media," a press release from the museum said. The four-hectare campus, in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, will include a green space and a 27,870-square-metre building with galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, cafe, and retail and community spaces. Some of its collection will include art from comic book artist Jack Kirby, painter Norman Rockwell and illustrator Kadir Nelson, as well as a Lucas archive with models, props, concept art and costumes. "I love all art, no matter what it is," Lucas said after showing a video that gave a sneak peek at the museum. The video included renderings of the museum interior and exterior, as well as the museum's broad range of art ranging from more traditional fine art and comic book strips to Star Wars sculptures and installations. Lucas began the panel recalling his days as a college student struggling to pursue his dream of becoming an art collector due to the steep cost of fine art. But the filmmaker found an affordable exception with comic books, sold cheaply in "underground" markets. Now, rather than selling art he collected over around 50 years, Lucas said he prefers to create what he calls a "temple to the people's art." Lucas kept the conversation focused on the museum and did not discuss Star Wars or Indiana Jones.
