Hollywood North’s A-listers and gushing video tributes to the Rio Theatre have been like two peas in a pod this week.
On Monday, it was Ryan Reynolds’ turn to show the love at screenings of both Deadpool films that netted $10,000 in donations towards the theatre’s ongoing fight for financial survival.
There was plenty of talk that Hunky McHunkerson would be at the Rio, but alas, he was working in New York City and his schedule prevented the cross-continental trek.
Instead, he sent the Rio’s operator Corinne Lea and company a video showing solidarity and support.
“I’m so grateful to you guys for not only being here tonight watching these movies, but for standing up for what is right, something that is amazing, something that is just — which is the Rio Theatre,” Reynolds said from his hotel in the Big Apple.
Rumour on the street Tuesday is that Seth Rogen is poised to offer up a similar message as part of a Freaks and Geeks documentary slated to screen tonight.
That high-profile help comes the same week as Lea stretched her fundraising drive into the 11th hour. The most recent deadline to purchase the Rio was July 7, but has been pushed back to the end of July.
A crowdfunding drive via FrontFundr to recruit investors was also extended, as the deadline in that context was moved to July 16 instead of June 28.
As of now, about $800,000 hangs in the balance for Lea and a team of investors to buy the Rio from retired independent theatre owner Leonard Schein.
“I want to get this done as soon as possible,” Lea told the Courier Tuesday. “July 31 is the deadline but I’m really trying to get this done well before that.”
Lea’s ongoing push got a nice boost Monday in the form of a $10,000 cheque from the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia. On top of the oversized novelty cheque, Mayor Gregor Robertson proclaimed this week as Save the Rio Week in the city.
“Aside from declaring it as Save the Rio Week, [Robertson] said he would talk to the province to see if there is a way to help,” Lea said. “But I don’t know what exactly he has planned.”
The Rio’s FrontFundr page is online at frontfundr.com/Company/rio_theatre.
@JohnKurucz
